The Black Cat
by Marissalyn
Summary: For her 21st birthday, Laura gets dragged to a strip club, her present waiting inside.
1. Kitty

"LaF, please don't make me go in there." Laura begged as she stood beside her three friends on the sidewalk outside of 'The Black Cat'.

"Don't worry L; we're all going in there." LaFontaine reassured as they stood beside their bite-sized friend.

Laura looked around at Danny and Perry, hoping that one of them would take pity on her.

Perry wouldn't look at her; instead she stared straight ahead with a look on her face that read that she just wanted to get this over with.

Danny shook her head, "It's your 21st birthday Laura, once you get a couple of drinks in you, you'll be good."

LaF nodded before grabbing ahold of Laura's wrist and tugging her towards the door of the strip club.

LaFontaine had barged into room 307 a little over an hour ago, claiming that they had a birthday present for Laura and that they needed to go get it. Apparently that present was a strip club, or what Laura didn't know was that it was in the strip club and not the building itself.

LaFontaine had called ahead to make sure that the girl they wanted was working that night and then reserved a private room for eight o'clock.

First things first, they headed to the small lopsided bar that held just as much liquor as a Costco section would if it sold liquor. "Hello, what can I get you ladies?" The bartender asked from behind the counter.

LaFontaine ignored the generalization of gender and instead ordered three beers and a Shirley temple for Perry (after all she was their designated driver).

Once Laura had downed two beers and was beginning to feel a not so familiar buzz, LaF had checked their watch and then disappeared. Laura had drank before, but never to get drunk, which was clearly LaF's goal (they could only imagine how loose Laura's tongue would be once she was, making their present even easier to give).

Laura leaned against the table as she sipped at her third beer in under an hour as Danny watched her warily without much worry. Her eyes were more directed towards the beefcake behind the counter filling orders; his name tag read 'Kirsch'.

Perry sat with her hands on her thighs, not too fond of touching the sticky bar, sipping at her drink cautiously from a straw that she had made sure that she had unwrapped from its wrapper.

LaF returned a few moments later. "Alright Laura, time for your present."

Laura turned to face the redhead, "Present? I thought this was my present."

The bio major chuckled as they shook their head, grabbing Laura's wrist once more and dragging her towards a hallway that was towards the back.

The bodyguard let them past with a simple nod after LaF had showed him a slip of paper.

"It's just right in there." LaF pointed towards a door that was already open, pushing Laura lightly towards the room. "She'll be right in, just sit in the chair and get comfortable."

Laura was too buzzed to notice that LaF had said 'she'. She instead nodded at her friend and then walked further into the room and plopped down into the plush red armchair.

LaF had shut the door, which Laura questioned but then decided that the present was in fact a surprise and they just didn't want to spoil it.

And a surprise it was. When the door opened a couple minutes later, Laura expected pretty much anything but what she had in fact saw.

A woman had entered the room, a short black silk robe tied around her lithe body, long dark curls framing her face. Her skin pale and her lips a deep red, eyes as dark as night and a smirk to send your pulse into overdrive, or at least that's what it did to Laura's.

Laura's mind was foggy from all of the beer she had consumed and her tongue felt thick in her mouth. "Hello." she managed to get out before feeling her cheeks heat up and her nails dig into the arms of the chair in frustration. She was a journalism major for Christ sake, or she planned to be anyways. Talking should be easier for her, but put an exceptionally hot woman in front of her and she was done for.

The woman's smirk widened into more of a grin as she shut the door behind her. "Hello." her voice was low and grounded out like gravel. She walked over to Laura, her hips swinging making the shorter and intoxicated girl stare. "I wish your friend had left a picture, if I had known you were this cute I wouldn't have made them pay nearly as much."

Laura gulped. "I'm sorry?" she squeaked.

The girl chuckled as her hands met at her waist, plucking at the ties that kept her robe closed. She was slowly untying it, and once that was done she let the robe slide off of her shoulders and drop to pool at her feet. In its place was a sexy black lace garter belt and bra. Laura just may as well have swallowed her tongue for the lack of words that she surprisingly hadn't even thought of producing.

Laura didn't know what to do, especially once the girl had straddled her, letting out a choked sound as she grounded her ass down into Laura's lap.

The dancer smirked as she interlocked her fingers behind Laura's head, resting her forearms on the back of the chair.

Laura tried to focus on anything but the girl's chest but it was seemingly impossible, so she tried to make small talk to keep her mind busy. "What's your name?"

"Kitty."

"No, like your actual name." Laura said, sucking in a breath as Kitty's ass once again grinded into her thighs.

"I don't give out my name, cutie." she said, climbing off of her lap and turning around to grind into her hips instead.

"Oh ok, well Kitty, I'm not usually like this and I'm sure you're a very nice girl but-oh." her rambling was cut off after a specific roll of the hips from Kitty.

Kitty turned back around, remounting her customer and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Normally you're not allowed to touch, but I kind of like the idea of you touching me."

Laura didn't know what to do. She knew for a fact you weren't allowed to touch the dancers, but they were in a private room with no bodyguard to tell her to keep her paws off. So she did as she was told, tentatively placing her hands on Kitty's undulating hips.

Kitty chuckled; "I was thinking something more along the lines of this." she then took Laura's hands and placed them on her ass as she continued to grind their hips together.

Laura was breathing heavily at this point and couldn't begin to fathom the fact that she just might cum in her jeans like a twelve year old boy if Kitty didn't stop.

Which of course she didn't, instead the breathy moans that the girl beneath her was letting out was spurring her on, making her move Laura's hands to her breasts and dip her ass lower into her crotch.

Sweat beaded on both of their foreheads as both of them rushed to their orgasms from just amateur friction, it was like they were both in high school again. Kitty was no longer giving a lap dance but shamelessly dry humping Laura. She even leaned in close, pressing her face into Laura's neck and purred (the whole reason behind her name to begin with).

That was all Laura really needed, moving her hands to the chair arms and digging her nails in as she let out a low moan, followed by Kitty letting out one of her own.

Laura's eyes were half closed, her mouth hanging open as she sucked in a ragged breath, watching Kitty's chest rise and fall in a quick rhythm as she climbed off of her and collected her robe from where she had left it on the hardwood floor.

Kitty slipped the thin garment back over her shoulders and moved towards the door, throwing a wink over her shoulder before muttering, "Pleasure doing business with you, cupcake." She then quickly left the room, heading back towards the dressing room. This had been a first, she had never gotten caught up in a lap dance before, granted she never had a customer as cute as she did tonight, but still, she fucking came in her lap like a school girl! It was embarrassing to say the least, but not embarrassing enough to not leave a little something behind.

XXX

The next morning Laura woke with a groan muffled by her pillow. She rolled over, looking through squinted eyes up at her alarm clock; it read 12:30pm. She let out another groan, this time in realization that she had to do her laundry.

Practically crawling out of bed, she reached for her jeans that she had discarded from the night before, they definitely needed to be washed she thought as memories from the previous night flooded her head, causing fluttering in her chest and sending her stomach into flips and a heat to settle in between her hips. Quickly checking the pockets so as not to wash her room keys again, she found a slip of paper in one of the back pockets.

It was a blank receipt, and on the back in a messy looped script read, 'Maybe next time we can grab dinner and a movie first. -Carmilla xxx' and beneath that was a phone number.

Laura clutched the note to her chest, a goofy grin plastered onto her face as she squealed with joy. Maybe she wouldn't regret her birthday night after all.


	2. Fling or date?

"_Take all of me_

_I just wanna be the girl you like (girl you like)_

_The kinda girl you like (girl you like)_

_Take all of me_

_I just wanna be the girl you like, girl you like_

_The kinda girl you like is right here with me_

_Right here with me_

_Right here with me_

_Right here with me"_

-'Partition' by Beyonce

XXX

"So are you going to call her?" LaF asked later that day as they sat across from Laura in a cafe just off of campus.

Laura shrugged, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You haven't shut up about her since last night, and you seemed pretty stoked about her leaving her number."

"It's just embarrassing you know, to think that happened and now I'm supposed to act like I don't know what it feels like for her to grind on me?"

LaF chuckled, "I don't know L, you seem to have the gentlewomanly vibe down. I think you can hold yourself together for one date."

Laura nodded, "You're right, but have you seen her?"

LaF rolled their eyes, "Of course I've seen her, I paid for your little happy ending remember?"

Laura blushed, looking down at her cocoa as she fiddled with the lid.

LaFontaine poked Laura's hand with a coffee stirrer, "What could it hurt to just call her?"

Laura shrugged, "Maybe I should just go back to the club."

"And what, stalk her?"

"You'll come with me won't you?"

LaFontaine sighed; it was their turn to stare down at their hands, their neck turning red. "Perry was going to make chicken pot pie for dinner tonight."

Laura frowned, "Oh, okay well I could just ask Danny, she seemed to really like that bartender guy last night."

"You noticed that?"

Laura nodded, "Well yeah, kind of hard to not. I mean ever since she and I broke up I was wondering if she'd ever take an interest in anyone sooner rather than later and last night she looked at him like well, how she used to look at me."

LaF smiled, "Yeah well, it was always hard to get her to admit her feelings."

Laura giggled, "There isn't a truer statement than that."

XXX

Carmilla heard her door scrape across the floorboards. Groaning in protest at the intruder, she rolled over, pressing her face further into her pillow. There was the sound of shoes scuffing along the floor before a weight pressed down on the far corner of her bed.

"What do you want, rat?" She asked; sleep still having a tight grasp on her as it scratched out from her throat.

"Oh nothing, I just happened to notice that you never clocked out last night, come to think of it you never made it to your other meetings past your eight o'clock one."

Carmilla kicked the sheets down around her ankles as she positioned her head so that she was no longer staring at the back of her eyelids but instead at the wall next to her bed. "Can always count on you to keep tabs on everyone, which is good in case any of us ever go missing."

"Which won't be that farfetched if you continue to fail at finding a sacrifice."

"What makes you think I haven't already found one?" Carmilla asked, rolling over so that she was now staring at the person who was sitting at the foot of her bed.

A shrug. "Well it's only a matter of time kitty, before Mother starts up her interrogations again."

Carmilla scoffed, "The ritual isn't for another three months, William."

"Oh you don't have to tell me that, it's Mother you have to keep off your back, not me." Will said as he smirked mischievously.

Carmilla frowned, "Are you sure? I do recall you coming in here just a mere moment ago accusing me of not finishing my job last night."

"Which you didn't." Will butted in, wagging a finger at her. "You even failed to go on stage last night; we had to have Elle fill in for you."

Carmilla flinched at the name, "Damn Elle, she has nothing on me."

"Which is why more people were buying drinks last night than normal, hoping that if their vision was blurred enough they could replace her face with yours."

Carmilla grimaced, "How kind, you were always quite the charmer."

Will shrugged once more; standing to his feet, "I just say it like it is pussycat." he eyed her up as he walked backwards towards the door. "By the way, you might want to actually wear clothes to bed if you decide to keep your door unlocked."

Carmilla looked down casually at her bare chest and boy short clad lower half. "A deadbolt wouldn't keep you out, Willy boy."

He winked at her before turning and leaving all together. The sound of the door shutting the only sound in the room before Carmilla flopped back down onto her back, blowing air out of her mouth to remove the hair that had fallen into her face.

XXX

"Wait, so let me get this straight (or not so straight), you want to go back to The Black Cat tonight so that you can see the girl who danced on you last night, and you want me to go with you." Danny said all of this with a skeptical look in her eye.

Laura could feel her face heating up. "Its fine, I can just go by myself."

"No you aren't. There are some really sketchy people in that club, especially the owner's son."

Laura's face lit up, "So does that mean you'll go with me?" she asked excitedly.

Danny thought for a moment (a moment where she was definitely not thinking of that totally not hot bartender). "I'll go with you, but don't think I'm not going to get trashed or hold this against you because I'm going to do both."

Laura grinned, practically jumping up and down. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she enveloped the much taller girl into a bone crushing hug.

"She better be worth all of this trouble and I'm not just getting you laid."

Laura couldn't help but hope for both.

XXX

"Are we really doing this again? It was your idea this time and I already paid the fare to get here." Danny groaned as they stood in almost the same exact spot they had stood the night before.

Laura fiddled with the hem of her shirt, "What if she doesn't remember me?"

Danny rolled her eyes, "She gave you her number, I'm pretty sure that means you left enough of an impression on her to remember you."

Laura's face turned beet red, she hadn't told anyone about what had happened behind that private room door, no matter how many hot chocolates LaF offered to buy her.

"I'm not that memorable." she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and stared down at her feet.

Danny frowned, "You never cease to amaze me, Hollis." she nudged Laura towards the door. "Let's go grab you your princess." A wink as she held open the door for her much shorter ex-girlfriend. "And just so you know, you are most definitely memorable."

Once inside the club, the musky atmosphere smacked Laura in the face. The familiar scent from the previous night of booze, stale cigarettes, and something sweet that she couldn't quite place overwhelmed her.

Together they walked over to the bar, Laura to settle her nerves and Danny to soothe her curiosity. The tall redhead frowned once more as she took notice to the lack of bro and the addition of a much shorter guy that reminded her of a weasel (not his face but the way he moved and the looks he was giving pretty much everyone who wasn't looking) who she knew to be the owner's son. He practically sneered when they approached the bar.

"Two beers please." Danny asked as she stuffed her hands into her Summer Soc sweatshirt for money.

Laura eyed the bartender as he went about taking the caps off of two beer bottles. He was dressed in dark wash jeans and a tight black shirt that melded over his pretty impressive biceps (all in black like someone else she now knew or would like to know). He didn't have a name tag.

"Here you go, wolf." He said as he angrily and quickly set down the beers, as if they had scalded him.

Danny raised a brow, her body visibly tensing. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing, a nickname that must've slipped." He bit out before holding his hand out expectantly for the money owed.

Danny scoffed before shoving a couple of bills into his outstretched palm and stomped off away from the bar. Laura was pretty sure she saw the bartender grin (the kind that made her stomach curl and the hairs on the back of her neck to stand to attention). She continued to stare at him, as if caught in a trance (most likely out of her own stupidity) before his eyes turned onto hers, his grin turning into an easy smile and his eyes softening just the slightest bit. Laura gulped, quickly turning on her heel and scampering off after Danny.

"What was that all about?" she asked once she had sat down in a corner booth. It had a lack of illumination, causing for questionable shadows to cast across the quite possibly sticky table top.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Danny said through gritted teeth. She was hoping to forget what had just happened and try and enjoy the rest of her night before she had to head back to campus and return to an empty bed. She stared across the table at Laura, god did she fuck up on that one.

Laura wasn't even looking her way anymore, but instead up at the stage where a single pole was. The stage was empty, but the bartender from just moments ago was making his way to the center of it, a microphone in his hand. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Now for those of you who were here last night, you may have been disappointed when you found out that she couldn't make it onto this stage, but tonight she has a whole new routine that she is ready to share with all of you." He began. "For those of you who don't already know me, my name is Will, but more importantly the girl that is about to take the stage and inevitably all of your hearts, Kitty!"

Laura's eyes widened as her throat practically sealed shut. She was not prepared to see Carmilla again so soon, she wasn't ready, and to be fairly honest she didn't pack an extra pair of panties to replace the ones she was currently wearing. She eyed the pole with equal amounts of resentment and eagerness.

The lights dimmed if that was even possible, as Will stepped off of the stage. The club was completely silent; it was so quiet that Laura could hear Danny breathing across from her.

There was the sound of heels clicking across the stage and then music started.

'_See me up in the club with 50 of the girls_

_Posted in the back with my things on my grill_

_Brooklyn brim with my eyes sittin' low_

Every boy in here with me got that smoke

_Every girl in here got to look me up and down_

_All on Instagram, cake by the pound_

_Circulate the image everytime I come around_

_G's up tell me how I'm lookin' babe'_

Laura's breath caught in her throat as she watched Carmilla run a hand over the pole as she circled it slowly, her eyes set onto the sheen of the metal. She rolled her hips once, twice, a third time, and then she jumped up and wrapped her legs around the pole. Carmilla was wearing another black garter belt, and a deep red, was that a corset?

Laura felt a kick beneath the table as she quickly removed her eyes from Carmilla's ass and over to Danny, "What?"

The redhead rolled her eyes, "Just saving a life. You all but forgot to breathe, so I'm assuming that's her?"

Laura nodded, directing her attention back onto the stage.

"Figures it'd be her." Danny muttered onto deaf ears.

XXX

Laura sat in her booth, sipping her beer as she replayed over and over just how flexible Carmilla was.

"Enjoy the show cutie?"

Laura jumped at the proximity of the all too familiar voice. She turned to look at her. Carmilla had changed after her show, into what Laura couldn't see past the short silk robe she had on the night before.

Laura opened her mouth to respond, but she may as well just have swallowed her tongue for all the good it was doing for her.

Carmilla smirked as she watched the girl struggle to speak. She was used to this sort of reaction, but she knew that Laura would be back and this time she had her guard up. She decided to relieve the shorter woman of speaking, "I have a ten o'clock, but it's my regular so it should only take about fifteen minutes." That was ten more than either of them had lasted.

Laura frowned.

"But maybe after that we can go grab a bite to eat or something." _Or something._

Danny scoffed.

Carmilla turned to look at the offender behind the noise as her lips turned up into a sneer before smoothing out. She didn't have time for petty girlfriends or games. Turning back to Laura, she saw her glare at the towering redhead before nodding her head, "I'd love to."

Carmilla grinned, hook line and sinker. She placed a lingering hand on Laura's bicep (a pretty impressive one at that), "I'll see you in half an hour then." Winking, before walking away, knowing Laura would be staring at her swaying hips the entire way.

XXX

"So you're just going to go with her?"

Laura stared back at Danny incredulously. "Excuse me?"

Danny huffed, "Laura, you don't even know her."

"That's kind of the whole point. How else am I supposed to get to know her? Do I seriously need to ask my ex-girlfriend for permission, or better yet her approval? Or should I just not even bother making plans and you can just set up a pizza date for me and you can sit across the aisle from us."

Danny's jaw tightened, "But she's the owner's daughter."

Laura rolled her eyes, "This is exactly the reason we broke up Danny, you don't trust me to make my own decisions, but guess what, I am an adult with my own mind and my own choices."

Danny shook her head, "You know I didn't mean it like that."

Laura held back a menacing laugh, choking on the bitterness of the entire situation. "Yes you did, since the moment things began to get serious between us all those months ago you have been biting at the bit to keep me safe. You coddled me and then you lost me."

Danny flinched at the use of the word bite. "That's not fair, how could you just talk about our time together like that? Like it meant nothing?"

Laura shrugged, "Because it might as well have been. You only stressed me out more, on top of all of my school work you were constantly up my ass, wanting to hold me and watch documentaries on salt."

"Hey, that was one time!" Danny defended herself.

Laura sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I don't even know why we are arguing about this. You have no say in who I'm interested in. I invited you out tonight thinking that maybe we could have a good time, maybe you and I could fall back into the friendship we had before we were together."

Danny glared at the table, at her empty glass, and at the damp and questionably stained napkin that was being used as a coaster for it. "You're only interested in her for her body; don't you think that's a bit superficial?"

Laura gapped; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Danny, of all people, the one who insisted she would protect any woman at any cost, slut shaming her? Her hands clenched into fists as her eyes narrowed in on the once familiar redhead. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but all I know is that she'll be fun and the complete opposite of you which is all I could ever ask for at this point in my life." She quickly stood from the table, grabbing her bag, and left the club.

The cold air whipped her in the face as Laura leaned back against the cinder block wall of the club. She couldn't believe how Danny was acting; it had been a mistake to ask her to come with her tonight.

"Hey, you okay?"

Laura looked up at the question, finding Carmilla standing next to her, she had changed into mundane clothes and was looking at her curiously. Laura couldn't be more grateful.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Carmilla nodded, it was none of her business what Laura and Clifford had argued about, and she didn't care. She pushed the strap of her bag further onto her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

XXX

**AN:** Hey guys! Was it alright? Let me know how you think this story is going to go, I'm curious about what you guys think. Also how do you guys feel about lyrics at the beginning of the chapters? **If you have any questions or theories feel free to send them to me here: .com**


	3. Dessert

"I want to share your mouthful

I want to do all the things your lungs do so well

I'm gonna bed into you like a cat beds into a beanbag

Turn you inside out and lick you like a crisp packet."

-'Every Other Freckle' by Alt-J

XXX

"So this is it." Laura said as she opened the door to her dorm room.

Carmilla stepped into the room, the light flicking on so that two single beds materialized on opposing walls, a small kitchenette for basic uses, and a desk with a laptop on top of it.

"Cute. You have a roommate?" Carmilla asked as she moved further into the room. She could hear Laura fidgeting by the door, probably fiddling with the hem of her skirt by the sounds of fabric brushing against skin.

"Uh yeah, Betty, but she went home for winter break so I have the whole room to myself for another week." Laura said, practically choking on the end of that sentence. She couldn't sound more desperate. Staring at the back of Carmilla in her leather jacket and pants, Laura couldn't help but think of the night before and comparing the amount of clothes she currently had on.

Carmilla smirked, her eyes hedging over to the laptop, and then over what she assumed was Laura's side of the room. Turning around to face Laura, she eyed the door, noting that it had yet to be shut. Funny how she would think that it would make for a quick getaway for Laura, if that's what she really wanted, which Carmilla was confident enough (and then some) to know that that was the last thing on the slightly shorter girl's mind.

Laura gulped when she met the darker girl's stare. What was she going to do? Surely Carmilla didn't come all the way here to see her Doctor Who memorabilia. She pulled at the edge of her skirt nervously.

Carmilla could hear the human's heartbeat pick up, fighting the urge to lick her lips. She failed. She took a step closer to Laura, her eyes roaming up and down the girl's frame. "I really like how quaint the room is. I always lived around much bigger, more expensive things. I appreciate the difference in thread count." Did she just make a joke? Was she seriously wasting her time trying to calm the girl's nerves? She should have had this girl on her back a half an hour ago.

Laura laughed, albeit nervously. "Thanks, I got the duvet cover at Target."

Carmilla found herself chuckling at this girl's innocence. To think just 24 hours ago she had been shamelessly dry humping her thigh. She moved closer, not stopping this time until they were a breath apart. She watched as Laura's eyes traveled down to her red lips. Yeah, this would be easy. Her eyes traveled down the slope of Laura's nose and down to her lips, staying there for a minute before breaking off and looking back up into her eyes. She was just going to go for it, she had waited long enough. "How morally wrong would it be to eat you for dessert on our first date?"

Laura's eyes widened as she quickly looked back up into Carmilla's and gulped. Had she heard her right? She must have because that look in her eye was nothing short of lustful. She swallowed again, her tongue like sandpaper. She really shouldn't put out on the first date, but after the night they had last, this was not that farfetched. And god did she want to. "It's just sex right?" She whispered, tugging her bottom lip in between her teeth, unsure about the whole thing. She hadn't slept with Danny until their one month anniversary. Of course that had been three years ago, and Danny was as chivalrous as she was stubborn (it was one of the things Laura liked most about her).

Carmilla grinned, "Right, sex is sex." Of course she would think that, it was practically her job.

Laura nodded timidly, "And we shouldn't have to feel guilty about it because of society's unbelievable standards. We're both adults and-"

Carmilla rolled her eyes at the younger girl's rambling. "Cupcake, shut up." She inched her face closer so that their lips were nearly touching, slipping off her jacket as she went, tossing it somewhere on the absent roommate's bed. That sure shut her up. "If you don't want this, tell me to stop and I will." She said, moving even closer, their noses practically touching. Although Carmilla could be considered a predator of sex and blood, she always made sure that the girls she was with were comfortable. When Laura gave no response besides a quick intake of breath, Carmilla closed the remaining space between them, pressing their lips together. The kiss was chaste at first (something Carmilla had never experienced before), before Carmilla deepened it, her tongue poking out to flick against Laura's bottom lip. Her hands gripped onto the college student's waist, pulling her in closer. Laura let out a tiny gasp, allowing Carmilla's tongue to delve into her mouth, stroking the other girl's with her own.

Laura moaned into her mouth, her hands coming to rest on her shoulders before biting down on Carmilla's lip, taking her by surprise. Carmilla fought back a whimper, this was fucking ridiculous. She was not vocal in the bedroom, _ever_, and she'd like to keep it that way. Deciding it to be easier if she took the reins once more in the situation, Carmilla walked Laura backwards into her bed, lowering them down onto the mattress and climbing on top, straddling the younger girl's hips. She smirked at the look on Laura's face, one of uncertainty and lust, biting her lip for good measure. Carmilla's eyes were draw to the blood that was filling the lip that she had tucked between her teeth, licking her own lips and leaned in kissing her again.

The kiss was just like any other; Carmilla wouldn't say there was anything special behind it per say, but she only thought this because she was too focused on the hands that had landed on her hips.

"I-is this okay?" Laura asked after pulling away from the kiss.

Carmilla rolled her eyes. Laura had no problem being handsy before, but she supposed these were bigger circumstances. Although sex was Carmilla's job, sex was special, or at least that's what she figured something along those lines was running through the younger girl's mind. "Cutie, I am literally straddling your hips right now." She reminded her; as if Laura could forget the weight that was pressing down on her lower half.

Laura nodded, "Right, of course." She went in to shut herself up with a kiss, hoping that she would be able to keep quiet long enough to not make Carmilla want to run away.

"In fact" Carmilla said between kisses, lowering her hands to grab ahold of Laura's wrists and raising them so that Laura's hands were hovering over her chest. "I'd prefer them here." She continued, biting her lip as she looked down through her eyelashes at the girl.

Laura gulped once more, nodding slowly as Carmilla pressed her hands into her chest. Laura grasped Carmilla's breasts in her hands, clothed skin fitting into the palms of her hands as she gently kneaded them, leaning forward to capture the dancer's lips once more, and welcoming her tongue to slide against hers as her skin began to heat up.

Carmilla's hands skated from Laura's jaw down her neck, to her shoulders, and down her arms, feeling the girl shiver beneath her touch. She grinned, breaking the kiss and began trailing her lips down to follow the path that her hands had made, stopping to make quick work of sucking on her collarbone.

Laura's eyes fluttered shut as she sucked in a breath, her lungs throbbing as she nearly stopped breathing all together at the feel of Carmilla's tongue tracing designs into her skin like a branding iron. Her hands left Carmilla's chest, and instead made their way up into dark tresses, pulling the girl impossibly closer to her, every ridge and curve pressed together in an awkward puzzle that's pieces didn't quite fit, but close enough that you shove them together repeatedly until you make it work.

Carmilla pulled away, her eyes darkened with lust from all of the little gasps and sighs from Laura. Her hands edged near the girl's sweater, tugging on it lightly, "This needs to go." She said, her throat closing around her words as she felt Laura's hands drop from her hair and finger tips trace down her back. Fighting the urge to shiver as the nerves on her back all came to life at just the lightest touch.

Laura lifted her arms above her head to help Carmilla pull off her chunky sweater, her hair falling out of the neck line and fanning out around her shoulders.

Carmilla stared for what to her seemed like an embarrassingly long amount of time, ducking her head back down to hide her sudden lip twitching by pressing more kisses to Laura's shoulder, her hands creeping up beneath her camisole to stroke against taut stomach muscles. Her black nails dragging along her sides before pulling her hands back out and beginning to pull off the thin fabric, "Everything still good?" she found herself asking, which was a bit out of the ordinary, she never asked twice.

Laura nodded her head, smiling before allowing Carmilla to pull off the camisole as well. Laura began placing kisses along Carmilla's neck, nipping lightly at the skin that was visible with the shirt she still had on. She pulled back, frowning slightly, "You are wearing far too much clothing."

Carmilla smirked, pulling her own shirt over her head and unclipping her bra before Laura could even try and help. Clumsiness and awkwardness was meant for people that actually cared for each other, and Carmilla did not care about Laura, no more than she had to pretend to in order for Laura to trust her. Carmilla leaned forward; unclipping Laura's bra with quick fingers as Laura stared at her chest, eyes the size of saucers. "See something you like, buttercup?"

Laura dumbly nodded, leaning forward to cup Carmilla's breasts, feeling the soft and supple skin in her hands; she began to knead at them once more.

Carmilla let out a hiss in surprise, usually girls didn't worry all that much about her pleasure, and she liked to keep it that way. Pushing lightly on the girl's shoulders, she pressed her back into the mattress, splaying her fingers out across her abdomen, painting them in a downwards motion as her fingers danced dangerously close to Laura's skirt's zipper. She found herself looking up once more into Laura's eyes, "You're sure?" she asked, making herself want to throw up, what was she doing? She was a creature of the night, a predator after death, it was her job to take and seduce, not whatever this was.

Laura rolled her eyes, chuckling, "Yes Carm, I'm sure." She said in a rush, hoping that the faster she spoke the closer she would be to getting Carmilla's hands down her skirt. She didn't pick up on the nickname she had just given the girl who was still perched on her lap.

Carmilla's smirk faltered, her brows furrowing in confusion at the nickname. Her fingers fumbled with the zipper as she bit her lip, growling out in frustration before ripping down the zipper in one quick movement, tearing the fabric. "Fuck." She muttered angrily.

"What?" Laura asked, confused. Her fingers were tapping out a rhythm against the dancer's hips.

Carmilla shook her head, climbing off of Laura's lap and pulling the skirt down her legs, the underwear following quickly after, "Nothing, just a minor clothing malfunction."

Laura couldn't even bother to focus on what Carmilla had just said when the girl was currently pulling off her skin tight leather pants and red lace thong. Laura watched as Carmilla sauntered back over to her, hips swinging before climbing back onto her lap, straddling her, wrapping her arms around Laura's shoulders, anchoring her in, as she peppered her jaw with quick kisses.

Laura's hands stroked up and down the older girl's thighs, making her breath hitch. As her hands inched up closer to the apex of her thighs Carmilla pushed Laura back onto the bed again, trailing kisses down her chest before taking a peaked nipple into her mouth.

Laura moaned, hands quickly tangling back into Carmilla's hair as her eyes closed momentarily before reopening, staring at the white opaque ceiling.

Carmilla heard Laura's heartbeat pick up as she switched breasts, pulling the other nipple in between her lips and sucking hard. Smirking against her skin as a hand began its decent down between the girl's legs. She fought the urge to ask her one more time if she was okay, and instead ran a finger up and down Laura's wet slit, eliciting a moan from said girl.

Carmilla leaned back, pressing one more kiss to the corner of Laura's lips before sliding down her body so that she was on her knees, pulling Laura towards the edge of the bed and ran her hands up and down her trembling thighs. Looking up at Laura, she gave her what was probably her most sinful look (one that she could have only been taught from the best) before leaning down and swiping her tongue across her clit.

Laura pulled tighter on Carmilla's hair, pushing her closer, hoping for more relief as Carmilla's tongue traveled down towards her entrance, licking into her cunt, teasing her clit with the tip of her nose before pulling away, replacing her tongue with two fingers and pushing back inside her.

Laura moaned, her hands sliding down onto Carmilla's shoulders, dragging her back up her body so that she could press their lips together, moaning into the darker girl's mouth appreciatively as Carmilla kept working her fingers inside of her.

Laura was close, that Carmilla knew from her walls clenching down onto her fingers, curling them up and stroking her to push her over the edge. The shorter girl gasped, eyes closing tightly and her teeth clamping down onto her bottom lip as Carmilla continued to slowly work her fingers in and out of her to help her ride out her orgasm.

Carmilla pressed a final kiss to Laura's lips before pulling out of her, granting herself a quiet whimper from the shorter girl as she climbed off of her.

Laura watched as Carmilla gathered her discarded clothes and began redressing. "Wait, what about you?" she asked, confused.

Carmilla slipped her shirt on over her head, stuffing her bra into her jacket pocket and buttoned her pants. "I got to head out now before the taxis stop running for the night." (Styria didn't have that much of a night life).

Laura watched her through half lidded eyes, leaning back onto her pillows as she watched Carmilla hover by the bed, looking unsure before saying, "Hopefully I'll be seeing you again soon." Winking for good measure and leaving the dorm room, shutting the door behind her.

Laura stared at the closed door confused; too tired to ponder whether what had happened actually did in fact just take place. She closed her eyes; she would worry about it in the morning.

Carmilla materialized in a plume of purple smoke back in her room at mother's home, wiping off the remaining purple residue before letting out a ragged breath. Sex with a human had never left her as frustrated as she was now. Eyeing her bathroom door she shrugged, nothing her good ol' showerhead can't fix.

XXX

AN: Let me know what you guys thought! Smut isn't really my forte, so hopefully this was okay.

For further questions or theories you can find me here: .com


	4. We All Start Somewhere

"Baby I need a friend

But I'm a vampire smile; you'll meet a sticky end

I'm here trying not to bite your neck

But it's beautiful and I'm gonna get

So drunk on you and kill your friends.

You'll need me and we can be obsessed

And I can touch your hair and taste your skin

The ghosts won't matter 'cause we'll hide in sin."

-'Vampire Smile' by Kyla La Grange

XXX

Carmilla dried her hair as she was coming out of the bathroom, rolling her eyes when she saw someone loitering in her room. "Twice in one day, wow William you really _have no_ class."

Will smirked, "Just took notice to the fact that you've been out all night, doing your job I hope."

She threw her towel into the hamper by the door, "I don't see why you care so much, whether I'm eating for fun or for work."

He shrugged, "Just trying to keep you out of the crosshairs with mother."

Carmilla nodded, "Oh sure, or maybe you're hoping that somewhere down the line I'll fuck up like I did all those years ago and then mommy dearest won't be up your ass so you can go and turn that puppy dog human."

Will's jaw clenched, hands turning into fists at his sides. "This is not about him."

Carmilla chuckled, "Sure it isn't. Now, if you don't mind, I kind of tired myself out last night and I'd like to go to bed. Don't worry; I'll be at work tonight."

Will shook his head, "You'll be sorry Kitty Cat, you should be thanking me, mother may love me best, but you're her precious diamond, she won't be distracted for long, and you just better hope that you are working on bringing home a sacrifice and not a girlfriend. Mother doesn't take kindly to when we play with our food past its expiration date."

Carmilla ignored him, flopping down onto her bed and rolling over so that her face was pressed into her pillow. She heard the sound of Will's boots clunk across the floorboards and then the door shutting with a resounding click behind him.

XXX

"She just left?" LaFontaine asked. Laura had asked them to come over to study for midterms, but their studying had yet to start.

Laura nodded, staring down blankly at her textbook. "Yeah, I mean, I looked up and she was putting her clothes on."

"And you just left Danny at the club?" LaF asked as they flipped through their notebook.

Laura huffed, "She and I had a fight, I went out to dinner with Carmilla, and she could've gone home after I left."

"But she didn't."

"I could only guess that she didn't." Laura said, highlighting a paragraph of text.

"No, Danny didn't come home. I would know because on my way back from Perry's last night, I saw her walking back onto campus."

Laura looked up, eyes wide. "She walked home?"

LaF shrugged, "I guess, the taxis were already off for the night so I could only assume so."

Laura felt her stomach sink to her feet, she felt horrible. She made Danny wait for her all that time; she could've just had Carmilla wait outside while she went back into The Black Cat to tell Danny to go home. She shook her head, what was she thinking? This was a perfect example of why Danny and she didn't work. If Danny knew her at all, she would've gone home right after she left with Carmilla. She would not feel guilty for doing what she wanted.

"You okay there, L?" LaFontaine asked skeptically. "I can smell the wood burning from here."

Laura looked back up at them, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's not my fault Danny waited for me and I refuse to feel guilty for spending the night how I wanted."

LaF nodded, completely agreeing. "I agree, just maybe don't go anywhere near the Summer Soc house, or anywhere that has work out equipment. I could hear Danny punching something from my room."

Laura rolled her eyes, nodding. "I won't, besides." She held up her phone. "I think I should text Carmilla." After typing out a quick text, she turned back to LaF, "Okay, now let's actually study."

XXX

Danny heaved out a heavy sigh as she wiped the sweat off of her brow with the bottom of her shirt. She had been hitting punching bags for the past couple of hours and had yet to let up.

She couldn't believe the night she had. First that bartender guy (who she totally wasn't attracted to) wasn't there, followed up by the owner's son calling her wolf which she still had yet to tell anyone outside of the society about, and finally Laura. Laura who she used to love (used?) had left her stranded at the club after purposefully nitpicking at all of her flaws and how she was the reason they broke up. And that dancer, Carmilla, the fucking hottest piece of ass in that club wanted her Laura, and not even in the ways she should have. Danny could tell just from the brief meeting she had with her that she was bad news. That she was going to use Laura, most likely hurt her, and she was supposed to just stand there and let it happen?

Danny shook her head, dropping her shirt so that it clung back onto her abs and swung once more at the fifth bag she had pulverized that morning.

There had just been something off about Carmilla, and the whole club to be exact. It smelled off. All of the dancers did.

She swung again at the bag, missing this time. Looking up she noticed a hand holding back the bag just out of her reach. Following the hand, and then the arm to the body of the person who was keeping her from exerting her anger, she froze. She had thought she had been alone in the weight room. She had been wrong.

"I couldn't help but see that you were killing all of the punching bags."

Danny continued to stare at the first person to actually come close to her height. Clearing her throat, she reached out, tugging the bag back into place and punched once more at it. "What's it to you?"

"Well I hate to see a hottie stress."

And all attraction was gone (at least anything other than physically). "Can I help you?" she asked, already getting worked up again.

He held out his hand, "I'm Kirsch."

Danny eyed his hand before ignoring it all together, refocusing on the bag and swinging again.

"Not gonna tell me what your name is?" Kirsch asked mirth clear in his voice.

Danny shook her head. "Why should I?" Another punch, each one getting harder than the last, the chain holding the bag to the ceiling was beginning to whine against the harshness of it.

He shrugged, "Well I just thought-"

Danny cut him off; she's dealt with guys like him before. "Well you thought wrong." He may have been hot, but if a guy just out right calls a random girl a hottie, then he clearly had no respect for one.

Kirsch watched the bag push out away from the redhead's fist, before swinging back so that Danny could hit it again, this time with an unexpected kick. He nodded appreciatively; the girl could hold her own. He began to grin, an idea popping into his head. He pulled the bag away from her again, hearing her huff loudly as she blew air up at the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. "I have an idea."

"I am not going out with you." She said, glaring down at him, she still had an inch or two on him.

He shook his head, big goofy smile still plastered to his face. Danny wanted to smack it off.

"No, why don't we spar, and if I win I get to know your name." he said simply, rocking back and forth on his heels, clearly proud of the proposition.

Danny raised a brow, "That's it, just my name?"

Kirsch nodded, "Yup, and hey if you want to go out on that date, I won't be so quick to say no."

She shook her head, rolling her eyes once more before sticking out her hand. "Deal."

He slapped his hand into her clammy one, shaking it. "What do you want if you win?" He asked.

Danny was a little taken aback by him not just assuming that he'd win, after all he had been watching her punch a bag or two for a while (or so he implied). She thought for a minute, pursing her lips before saying, "If I win, I want to know why you weren't working last night."

Recognition flooded his eyes before he nodded, "Deal."

XXX

"Perry, I'm home." LaFontaine mimicked an old 1950s television show as they walked into their girlfriend's dorm room.

Perry was flitting around the room, organizing notes and notifications on her bulletin board. There was a sticky note for each phone call she had gotten or needed to make, emergency phone numbers for all the girls that lived on her floor, and finally all of the reservations she still had to make for the Silas formal at the end of the month.

"Hey, sweetie." She said in greeting as LaFontaine plopped themselves down on the only bed in the room (as floor don Perry had the luck of getting a room all to herself).

Crossing their legs, LaF watched as Perry played with the strands of curls that had untucked themselves from behind her ear.

"How's the planning coming along?" LaF asked.

Perry stopped fidgeting and turned to them, her smile genuine even if the rest of her was frazzled. LaFontaine thought she looked beautiful and told her so.

Perry blushed, moving closer to the bed and sitting beside LaF. "You always know just exactly what to say."

LaFontaine smiled, leaning closer so that their foreheads touched. "Well that's because you're my heart."

Perry took their hand in hers, interlocking fingers, "And you're my person."

LaF pressed a kiss to her lips. "So how's the planning?" They asked again after a moment.

Perry leaned back, staring down at their hands. "It's almost done. I still have to call the catering company."

"We can always just eat what's in the caf."

Perry made a face, "Not after last year, Mandy had started glowing after drinking that ale."

LaF chuckled, they got to dance with Perry _and _do some probing of the scientific nature. (A gnome had slipped come radiation fluid into the Summer Soc ale). Nothing funnier than a glowing wolf, LaFontaine thought. The whole Summer Society was full of werewolves, but Mandy swore LaF to secrecy after they found lupin venom in her system.

LaF could see Perry itching to call so they pulled their hand out of hers. "Go call them; I'll be here when you're done."

Perry's face slackened into one of relief or was that love? LaF was wondering if they were close to the same thing for her. They hoped so.

XXX

With a resounding slap, Kirsch hit the mat hard. "Wow,_ ouch_!" He yelled as he stared up at the ceiling.

Danny stood over him, breathing heavily, her tank top sticking to her as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Aren't gonna help me up?" He asked breathlessly.

Danny rolled her shoulders, feeling the ache in them burn. "You're a big boy, help yourself up."

Kirsch scoffed before rolling over to push himself up with his elbows. "You're harsh."

Danny shrugged, her eyes watching his every move as he straightened and then whimpered from the discomfort of his back muscles warring with him. She smirked, "You think you still have enough strength to pick up your pride?"

He chuckled, "Maybe, I don't know. But I do know that I owe you a story." He leaned back against the wall, away from the wrestling mats and waved her over.

Danny couldn't help but stare at where his biceps bulged beneath his sleeves, gulping when she saw him grin, leaning back against the wall, their pinkies nearly touching.

"So I wasn't at work yesterday because I was too busy blowing up chunks all across the bathroom floor."

Danny scrunched up her face in disgust, "Okay, _gross_."

Kirsch shrugged.

"Did you at least get some of it in the toilet?"

Kirsch laughed a good hard belly laugh, "Yeah, towards the end I did."

Danny nodded, "But wait, why did you get sick, like was it food poisoning or?" She stopped speaking, hoping he'd fill in the blank for her.

"I don't know, must've been something I picked up from a customer."

Neither one of them took notice to the small scratch he had on the inside of his bicep.

"Anyways, what were you doing at The Black Cat last night, did you come back to see me?" Kirsch asked after a minute. He surprisingly wasn't smiling for once, his face more serious.

Danny felt her neck flush, "You wish. My friend Laura wanted to see your club's prized possession again."

Kirsch's brow scrunched up for a moment, "The nachos? They're pretty easy to make. I can show your friend how to make them so she's not forking out ten bucks a plate."

Danny rolled her eyes at the idiotic concern, "No, your dancer Kitty."

Kirsch nodded, now making more sense of things before looking up at her. "Can I still know your name even if I didn't win?"

Danny smiled, "I guess you earned it."

"Earned it? I just let you kick my ass!"

"Let huh?" Danny rolled her eyes, typical man. Shaking her head she held out her hand, "Danny Lawrence."

Kirsch grinned, taking her hand in his, "Brody Kirsch."

XXX

Carmilla groaned at the sound of a text going off on her phone. Rolling over to grab it off of her night stand, and picking it up. She squinted at the screen since she had taken her contacts out.

**Unkown: **Had a great time last night. Repeat?

**Cutie: **I meant the dinner part!

**Cutie: **Although that other part was good too.

**Carmilla: **Are you trying to flirt with me?

**Cutie: **Should I be?

Carmilla smirked, feeling her stomach swoop down somewhere near her knees. She shook off the feeling and quickly typed up a reply.

**Carmilla: **I guess tongue wasn't enough last night if you're the one teasing.

**Cutie: **I forget, maybe you should jog my memory.

Carmilla's brow raised, was this girl serious?

**Carmilla: **I'm hurt you'd forget so soon.

**Cutie: **Maybe you didn't leave enough of an impression.

Carmilla growled, "I'll show you impression."

**Carmilla: **Got work tonight.

**Cutie: **I'm patient.

**Cutie: **Maybe I can have a sneak peak though?

Carmilla chewed on her bottom lip.

**Carmilla: **Are you asking for a Nudy Judy miss?

**Cutie: **Words are just fine…I am journalism major after all ;)

**Carmilla: **So you don't want a picture?

**Cutie: **Depends, what are you wearing?

Carmilla smirked, slipping out of her panties and shirt, tossing them over the side of the bed.

**Carmilla: **Nothing.

There was a pause in the conversation.

**Carmilla: **Everything okay over there, cutie?

**Cutie: **I just kicked LaF out of my room.

**Carmilla: **That's mean.

**Cutie: **You have no idea.

Carmilla shivered, shaking her head. No, she did not.


	5. Mistakes

"Because Hell, Hell is for children

And you know that their little lives can become such a mess

Hell, hell is for children

And you shouldn't have to pay for your love

With your bones and your flesh

It's all so confusing, this brutal abusing

They blacken your eyes, and then apologize

Be daddy's good girl, and don't tell mommy a thing

Be a good little boy, and you'll get a new toy

Tell grandma you fell off the swing."

-'Hell is Children' by Pat Benatar

XXX

Laura clambered off of her bed and over to the door, ready to investigate the incessant banging on her door. Quickly opening the door, she came face to face with the last person she expected to be seeing that day. "I thought you had to work?"

Carmilla looked at her like she hadn't eaten in days, when technically it hadn't even been 24 hours since she had last been between her legs. Entering the room and pushing Laura so that she could shut and lock it behind her, Carmilla quickly pulled off her coat and shoes. "You really think after that picture you sent me that I would just wait until I was off of work?"

Laura feigned confusion, "What picture? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

Carmilla nearly growled, beginning her prowl towards the human in front of her. Laura had put clothes back on in case someone were to come stumbling by her room and needed her attention for something, but Carmilla still had that photo on her phone. Could still remember how it looked when Laura had her bottom lip tucked between her teeth and her hand down her panties, a patch of skin with visible goose bumps from the temperature change after pulling her shirt up. The big V-neck that clearly didn't fit her that ended mid-thigh, her sleep shorts barely visible beneath it. Laura did put clothes on, but nothing too modest (much to Carmilla's pleasure).

Laura found herself backing up towards the desk, the small of her back pressing into the desk's edge, her breath coming quick in anticipation.

"God, you are such a precious thing, so delicate." Carmilla husked, pushing a piece of Laura's hair behind her ear. She leaned in, a hand ghosting down her arm, fingers closing around her wrist and pulling it behind her back to grip onto the desk. "You tense up at just the smallest touch."

Laura shivered, taking Carmilla's note to hold on to the desk as the darker girl made quick work of pulling the string of her sleep shorts loose and letting them pool around her ankles. Laura kicked her feet out of them before Carmilla gripped one of her legs, pulling it up to wrap around her waist.

"I don't have much time, I shouldn't even be here." Carmilla said, her lips tracing the side of Laura's jaw, up to her ear and biting down on the lobe, tugging it slightly before releasing it, smirking at the sound of the shorter girl's gasp.

"Then why are you here?" Laura asked, trying to look into the woman's eyes.

Carmilla ignored her seeking gaze and instead smoothed her hand down the front of her shirt, fingertips grazing the elastic of her underwear before dipping down beneath them. "You're so wet, why are you so wet, cutie?"

Laura gulped, sucking in a shaky breath at the sudden touch.

Carmilla tsked at the lack of a response, dragging her fingers through the wetness before settling on her clit, making small tight circles around it. "Did you think that if you sent a picture you'd get me to come over here?" She moved down further, pressing into her entrance, eliciting a moan from Laura. "Does it get you off at the fact that it did, that I'm here right now fucking you?"

Laura wrapped an arm around Carmilla's neck, nails digging into the fabric encasing her shoulders. "Carmilla, please."

The vampire smirked, "Please what, cutie?"

Laura dug her nails in a little deeper, causing Carmilla to hiss, pressing her hips sharply into her hand, pushing her fingers in harder. Laura threw her head back, her eyes clenched shut. Carmilla looked up now that she was no longer being stared at. "Was that it? You want me to be rough?" She wasn't used to this, girls normally wanted her to touch them softly, like she loved them and she pretended to. She specifically saved her roughness, her monster for other times, to someone that deserved it, someone that asked for it.

Laura didn't answer her, instead pushing down onto Carmilla's hand, hoping that she would get the message, less talking, more fucking.

Carmilla raised a brow, she didn't have enough time to draw this out, to tease her until she was shaking so she obliged, curling her fingers inside of her and stroking at her walls.

Laura's breath hitched, letting Carmilla know that it wasn't going to take much more to push her off the edge that she had built her up on, moving her thumb up to circle her clit while still thrusting into her at an increasing pace.

Carmilla wrapped her other arm around Laura's waist supporting her weight just as she cried out, digging her nails in and tugging on her shirt, the other one nearly splintering the desk's edge. Carmilla slowly stroked her until her breathing evened out, pulling her fingers out slowly before sucking them into her mouth, Laura staring at her lips. She couldn't help but think Carmilla had yet to kiss her, but when she leaned in to change that, Carmilla pulled away in search of her shoes that she had kicked off.

Laura raised a brow, self-consciously pulling her shorts back up and fixing her disheveled hair. "Where are you going?"

"Like I said earlier, cupcake, I got work." Carmilla said, pulling on her jacket and nearing the door, looking back at her with one hand on the door. "I'll text you later."

Laura watched her leave, still in a daze, but a more irritated one. She still had yet to touch Carmilla in all the ways she had touched her.

XXX

"Where's Elle?" Carmilla asked immediately on returning to mother's.

Will was lounging on the setae by the window. "Beauty Queen is still up in her room, after 79 years and the bitch still has no sense of time."

Carmilla ignored him, heading up the stairs at an alarming speed, reaching the all too familiar blonde's door and opening it.

"Well, didn't expect to see you any time soon." Elle said, sitting at her vanity as she applied blush to her cheeks. She looked up at Carmilla in the mirror, cocking her head to the side as she sniffed the air, "At least not in these circumstances." She was smiling a smile Carmilla hated. It wasn't the one she used to be all too fond of, no, this one was dirty, conniving, and everything she had once thought she could never turn into. Her mother had told her otherwise, but just like she says, 'Mircalla likes to be young and naïve with her head in the clouds; just like the day she died'.

Carmilla threw off her jacket, her shoes and pants followed before she removed the rest of her clothing, all while Elle watched with a knowing look in her eye. She slowly eased out of her chair, making her way over to the impatient vampire. "So what was it this time Mar?" Carmilla was going by Marcilla when they had met, the nickname sticking like an old habit that failed to ever die out completely.

Elle inched her way closer, "Was it that human you've grown rather fond of? I hear from William that you've gotten pretty chummy, and so soon, it just might be a new record." Carmilla growled, pulling Elle in by the back of her neck, their lips a breath apart as she ground out, "Just _fuck_ me."

Elle chuckled, running a finger over Carmilla's cheekbone, scratching lightly down her face and neck, landing in the dip of her collarbone. An all too familiar predatory trick that she had taught her, one she had used on Laura just a mere hour ago. Carmilla shivered, clenching her teeth in aggravation at being weak. Her mother had always been right about her; she was and always had been naïve. She gripped Elle's hand, shoving it down where she needed it most. Elle ran a finger along her wet slit, smirking when it elicited a quiet moan from the older girl.

"Wow, she really left you a molten mess hasn't she? You really might want to look into letting them please you too, saves you from all of the mortification of coming here." She pressed into her roughly, causing Carmilla to slam her head back into the door. "Although, they say it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. You hate yourself so much; this is like a punishment, just the briefest moments of weakness causes you to fall back into old comforts. I wonder what mother would think, that is if she didn't already suspect her daughter of such foolishness."

Carmilla dug her nails into the nape of Elle's neck, drawing blood. "I _fucking_ hate you."

Elle thrust into her faster, quicker. "Oh I know you do Mar, and believe me if I haven't told you enough, I could easily keep reminding you of how much the feeling is mutual."

Carmilla closed her eyes, burning the back of her eyelids with unshed tears. Vampires didn't cry, it showed weakness, and she had already shown enough that day for a lifetime. That didn't mean she wouldn't do it again all too soon, she was made for disappointment. Her mother had once told her that she was capable of so much, but lacked any sense of bravery to go through with them. On one of the worst nights, she had even called Carmilla a spineless blood sucker that lacked any potential after her mistake. It was one she wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Almost eighty years later and she still couldn't wipe away the memory of what it looked like to have mother look at you with complete and utter disdain. She had been a disgrace then, and she was merely falling back into old ways, like following footprints in the snow so not to get your pants wet.

Elle pulled her out of her reverie with a quick orgasm that left her skin itchy and her nerves frayed at the ends.

Carmilla pushed her off of her, picking up her clothes as Elle watched her, laughing. "Some things just never change do they Marcilla?"

Carmilla ignored her, retreating to her room where she quickly locked herself in her bathroom, attempting to wash away all of her mistakes from the last 317 years.

Turning the water onto the highest possible temperature before stumbling beneath it, feeling the water burn into her skin, watching as third degree burns appeared, turning into second, to first, to none. She deserved this, at least this much. She was pathetic. When she had first been turned she was mother's prized child, she did everything she was asked of, killed without thinking, drank without the urge for forgiveness, and she still did most of those things, but 1936 changed all of that. In 1936 she fell in love. In 1936 she betrayed her mother. And in 1936, Carmilla made one of the biggest mistakes she had yet to make and would always regret.


	6. Only a Job

"Oh, come, take my hand

And run through play land

So high, too high at the carnival

And it's all fun and games,

'til somebody falls in love,

But you've already bought a ticket,

And there's no turning back now."

-'Carousel' by Melanie Martinez

XXX

**LaF: **Again?

**L: **Yeah, I don't know what her problem is…but its weird right?

**LaF: **Kind of. Maybe there's a reason, I mean she did have a good excuse both times…

**L: **Yeah, I think I'll just ask her.

**LaF: **Good thinking.

**LaF: **Let me know what she says.

XXX

"Hey, Psycho Society."

Danny turned around from where she was headed to the gym; a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. She had finished her classes for the day, and she was ahead in her grading so she thought another trip to the gym would do her some good, especially when she had to stare at Laura for an hour and a half on Thursdays.

She eyed Kirsch as he started walking with her. "New nickname? Cute, I might just have to call you Brody to share the affection."

Kirsch gapped, "You wouldn't dare!"

Danny nodded, hip checking him, "Oh, I _would_."

He smiled at their banter, his eyes dancing in mirth. He was staring right at her.

Danny's brow bunched up, "What?"

Kirsch shrugged, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets. "Nothing, you're just a total regulation hottie."

Danny rolled her eyes, punching his shoulder. "Shut up."

Kirsch hissed, grabbing his shoulder, "_Ow_!"

Danny shook her head. "Baby."

"Aww, I didn't know we were doing pet names now, sugar plum honey bunch!"

There was a moment of silence, and then, "Ow!"

XXX

Laura had no idea what she was doing there, but she wanted to know. She was addicted and she didn't want there to be a reason to stop what they were doing, whatever it was.

"Laura!"

She looked up to see the owner's son, Will was it? He was grinning at her in an unnerving way that left her without air, causing her to pant. It must run in the family she thought.

"Hi." She finally managed to get out. He was still smiling at her, cocking his head slightly as if he was listening to something.

Laura could feel her heart beating hard against her chest. She knew she was nervous, but come on! She remembered feeling weird the last time he looked at her too. It was a different stare from the one Carmilla gave her, as if he knew something she didn't.

Did he know about them? Did Carmilla talk about her? She smiled at the thought.

"Does she know you're here, or is this a surprise?" He asked, eyes scanning over her appearance.

Laura flushed red. He knew something, she had never introduced herself. Carmilla had to have mentioned her. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him it was a surprise, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, a wave of comfort washing over her.

"Leave the poor girl alone, William." A voice like champagne ran past her ear, the tone bubbly yet refined. Will's eyes flickered back to a darker shade of brown, now looking over Laura's shoulder instead of at her. His attention now on the intruder to this freakishly intimate moment, "What are you doing here, Elle? Tonight is your off-night; shouldn't you be working your other job?" He asked his tone sharp yet bored.

A hand on Laura's forearm told her to turn, coming to face a flawless blonde with a mole on one cheek. She was breathtaking in a rough way, like she had been through her fair share of hard times. Laura immediately started comparing her to Carmilla.

Carmilla was more delicate, her skin like porcelain. Her jaw sharp, sculpted, unlike this Elle whose jaw was soft and nose a little obtuse in a charming way. Her eyes were icy blue reminding Laura of icicles that could pierce through you and skewer any poor lover's heart. They were unlike her Carmilla's (hers? Whoa, where did that come from?) dark brown ones that could swallow you whole and you would somehow thank her for allowing you to drown in them, in her.

Elle caught her staring, smirking at her. It wasn't like Carmilla's at all. This one looked like it was only meant to do damage, similar to that of a magician's knowing gaze, or a lion tamer's arrogance. It was like any minute Laura was going to be either cut in half or eaten alive.

"You must be Laura." Elle said, holding out her hand.

Laura's eyes refused to leave hers as she blindly took her hand, pumping it once before letting go. Why couldn't she look away from the treacherous pools that were this girl's irises? She was going to ask, but the words faded before they even met her lips.

Elle looked away and quickly up towards the stage where music began to play.

Laura shook her head, suddenly no longer feeling the urge to stare at this blonde, instead looking past her at the stage.

Carmilla had come out onto the stage, and was beginning her routine, one hand on the pole as she circled it at a slow pace, almost as if she didn't even care about the task at hand (her specialty).

"She's something isn't she?" Elle asked, turning back to face Laura who was now staring at the brunette on stage who had now jumped up onto the pole, wrapping her legs around it, and began moving along it like it was an instrument, tugging at all of the lower regions of every poor soul who's eyes were currently on her. Laura gulped her mouth suddenly dry. She had to touch that body, if Carmilla was touching her and bringing her to some of the best orgasms in her life, it was only fair for her to return the favor, or at least try to anyways.

Elle snickered at Laura's lack of attention. She couldn't blame her, she still felt the casual tug towards the broody vampire every once in a while, because how could you not? She was fucking gorgeous, and knew exactly how to move her body in all of the most delicious ways. Elle stroked along Laura's elbow, getting an idea, "Maybe we should get closer, try and get a better look at the entertainment."

Laura blindly nodded, allowing Elle to lead her down the short three steps into the club in a daze, her eyes refusing to leave Carmilla.

Carmilla felt a different pair of eyes on her, ones that felt familiar. And not in the way that all of the other regulars did, this one felt necessary, she didn't actually feel the urge to throw up from this gaze. She turned her head slightly as she twisted along the pole, finding Elle in the crowd moving closer to the stage, but before she could roll her eyes, they landed on a much shorter brunette behind her, following after her in a glazed over state. _Laura_.

Carmilla could feel her blood boil, could feel her skin itch, and all of the hairs on the back of her neck stand at the sight of Elle talking to Laura. It infuriated her, so much in fact that she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, her hand slipping and sending her falling to the stage, smacking the back of her head on the wood of the stage floor. There was a gasp as the music stopped and Carmilla sat up, rubbing the back of her head, to find Elle staring at her with an all knowing shit eating grin, her eyes promising threats she couldn't follow through with.

She stood hastily from where she had fallen, quickly leaving the stage, and before she could put much thought into it, she was standing in front of her ex-girlfriend, and new play thing. Her teeth gritted, molars grinding down against one another at the sight of Laura who was clearly not herself. She quickly grabbed Laura's wrist, pulling her to her side. "Don't you have better things to do then sabotage my job?" She hissed at the taller blonde that stood before her, arms crossed over her chest, and a smug smile painted onto her bow lips.

Elle chuckled, shaking her head. It was just too easy to piss off the older vampire, fun too. Now she understood why Will did what he did.

"I thought we were over this petty jealousy, Elle?" Carmilla bit out.

The blonde raised a brow, "Jealousy? Please, there's nothing to be jealous about. You actually let me fuck you."

That seemed to snap Laura out of her reverie; her eyes no longer glossed over, but instead resembled that much of what a kicked puppy's would look like, her bottom lip worrying between her teeth so not to draw attention to the tremble in it.

Carmilla's nails dug into the palm of the hand not holding onto Laura, ignoring the slight pain she felt that stung. "Don't you have some old hag to seduce?"

Elle shook her head in amusement; it was just too easy to get under her skin (probably because she had wriggled her way beneath it all those years ago). She waved a taunting hand towards Carmilla before winking at Laura, "Catch you around, Laura."

Carmilla growled quietly under her breath. The fact that she was standing in the middle of the club in only a black garter belt and matching red lace bra and panty set not fazing her.

Laura looked over at her. "You fell." She said, her hand going up to brush the girl's bangs out of her eyes, freezing when she saw Carmilla flinch away. She frowned, dropping her hand. "Why won't you let me touch you?" she asked dejectedly.

Carmilla stared at her, eyes blank. She refused to feel anything for this clumsy, childish girl that stood in front of her. She shook her head, tugging on her wrist she still had in her hand, "Not here." She led her back towards the dressing rooms, unlocking her own private one (a luxury mother had promised her beautiful shining girl).

She let Laura's arm drop after shutting the door behind them, moving away from her and made herself busy by the vanity that was against the back wall. "Let me get changed, I'll take you home." She began rummaging through a small closet that held mundane clothes that she could enter and leave the club in.

Laura waited as she dressed in silence, her eyes focused on the hem of her shirt as her fingertips played with a loose strand that had begun to unravel. "You let Elle touch you." She said. It wasn't a question.

Carmilla paused in pulling her shirt over her head, looking over at the small girl that stood near the door. She felt like she could physically see her shrinking as the silence began to lengthen, her waiting for Carmilla to either agree or disagree to the accusation.

Carmilla continued getting dressed, pulling pants on. She was hoping that if she didn't say anything, Laura would just let it drop. She was wrong.

"Is there something wrong with me? I mean, clearly you want to fuck me, or at least I think you do." Laura said, letting her shirt drop from her hands and looking up at Carmilla who had her back to her, putting things into her bag before throwing it over her shoulder.

"You're just fine, buttercup." Carmilla said, moving back towards the door, walking right past her and holding it open for her. She looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to walk out in front.

Laura waited as Carmilla relocked the dressing room door. "You weren't surprised."

Carmilla let out a breath; no one has given her such a run for her money and patience, not since Elle. "Wasn't surprised about what?" she asked, not wanting to play guessing games.

"That I was here."

Carmilla rolled her eyes, knowing Laura couldn't see because she was behind her. 'You weren't the first girl to fall under my spell.' She wanted to say. But she didn't. She needed to start rebuilding the bridge that was beginning to burn before she lost Laura all together and had to start looking for another sacrifice. Because that's all Laura was, a sacrifice, a job, something mother expected of her, someone she had to fuck and please or she would be kissing her life goodbye. After her last mistake, mother had given Carmilla a warning, one that she would not be reminded of. Fuck up again, and instead of a decade of solitude, she would be spending eternity in the ground, alone and not breathing.

With all of this running through her head, Carmilla turned back to look at Laura, holding out her hand, testing to see how upset the girl was. When Laura reluctantly placed her hand in hers, Carmilla sighed in relief. "I'm sorry, cutie. I was more focused on that bitch Elle who's been spouting shit ever since she started working here." (Which was only partially true).

"So you don't let her touch you?" Laura asked eagerness clear in her tone.

Carmilla was used to lying; she no longer choked on her dishonesty. It was part of who she was. "She wishes, my body is meant for only one lady at a time." Following up her reassurance with a wink, she would have to make a few sacrifices in order to get what she wanted, which was mother's approval. She was just hoping that she would be able to resist this time.

XXX

When they returned back to Laura's tiny dorm room, Carmilla allowed the shorter girl to back her up into the door once it was closed. Allowed her to trail kisses down away from her lips, and to leave marks that would fade by morning, between gasps and loose grips on Laura's hair, Carmilla was soon out of her clothes and being placed onto her bed.

Carmilla let Laura touch her. Let her kiss and prod at her skin, grope her in places she hadn't realized deserved the attention that Laura was giving it. Carmilla sucked in a breath when Laura's lips inched closer and closer towards her pubic bone, biting her lip to stifle a moan when her mouth was finally where she needed it after what most would consider in-depth foreplay.

Carmilla let Laura scratch up and down her sides while licking into her. Let her fuck her with fingers that weren't cold. Carmilla let Laura give her her first honest orgasm that she had in a long time, leaving her lightheaded and her toes numb.

Hell, Carmilla didn't even get up right away, scrambling for her clothes. Instead she laid beside a clearly worked up Laura and for the first time didn't feel obligated to return the favor. Instead she found comfort in the cool sheets against her flushed and dewy skin, her hair fanned out on the pillow beneath her head.

Carmilla closed her eyes, knowing the all too familiar ghost of a tug in her chest. _Fuck._


	7. Past and Present

"An angel's smile is what you sell

You promise me heaven, then put me through hell

Chains of love got a hold on me

When passion's a prison, you can't break free."

-'You Give Love a Bad Name' by Bon Jovi

XXX

When Carmilla met Elle, she had been on her way to meet Madeline who she had taken a liking to, and thus began the process of making her a sacrifice.

There had been a boy handing out newspapers outside of a grocer. Short blonde hair with a cap on to cover his eyes, second hand clothes that didn't quite fit, his shoulders working as a makeshift hanger, suspenders holding his pants up. "Newspapers! Get your newspapers! 5 cents for a newspaper! Best offer you'll get all week!"

Carmilla was deep in thought as she crossed the road, head bent down to brace against April's strong winds as she poured over a book. The wind picked up, causing the paperboy to drop the newspaper he was holding as it began to blow away, chasing after it. It could've been considered fate; Carmilla had believed it to be (at least until it became her worst nightmare).

The paperboy collided with Carmilla, sending both of them to the ground in surprise.

Carmilla was all about ready to give the kid a piece of her mind, but when she looked up, she was met with a dirty and calloused hand, offering to help her stand. She allowed the boy to help her, but when they came face to face, Carmilla found herself holding her breath. She had never been attracted to a man before, but there was a first for everything she supposed.

Neither one of them let go of the other's hand as Carmilla studied his face, or_ her_ face?

Eyes blue and resembling ice with long lashes, cheekbones contouring the soft jawed face, and bow shaped lips. Carmilla didn't want to be rude and assume, but she had been in close proximity to her fair share of women to know. She dropped the hand.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss! I didn't mean to bump into you."

Carmilla raised a brow, feminine voice. "What's your name?" She asked, brushing off the apology.

"Elle." They were quick to respond, before realizing their mistake, "I mean Robert."

Carmilla smirked, "Nice to meet you, Robert."

Madeline had been forgotten entirely.

XXX

Carmilla rolled over in her bed, cracking one eye open, and found herself staring at the back of someone's head. Okay, so _not_ her bed.

She sat up, trying not to jostle the bed too much and wake the girl. She looked around the room, _Laura's_ room. _Fuck, _she must've fallen asleep afterwards. _Fuck._

Laura rolled over in her sleep.

Carmilla stared down at her, refusing to believe that she looked too cute for words. She slowly climbed out of the bed, nearly tripping over her discarded jeans if it weren't for her catching herself at the last minute on the shelf behind Laura's bed.

"Carm?"

_Fuck._

Laura sat up groggily, hair tussled and bleary eyed.

Carmilla froze by the door, her bottom lip wedged between her teeth as she thought of excuse after excuse…wait just a goddamn minute, since when does she feel guilty? It's like she let the girl fuck her, and now she has a bruising IQ because of it. She should just leave because she wanted to, not worry about what she would be doing to Laura if she walked out on her after the night they had just had.

Laura shifted in the bed, folding her knees up against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Leaving so soon?" she asked wearily.

Carmilla found herself shaking her head. "I was just going out for a smoke."

Laura eyed her suspiciously before clambering out of the bed, and riffling through the armoire for a Silas sweatshirt and sweatpants.

Carmilla sighed, fighting the urge to run. She was just so cute, but Carmilla didn't do this. She didn't do the lazy morning after. She didn't do comfy; fishnets and leather sure, but cotton and wool? Absolutely not. "What are you doing?" She asked.

Laura slipped on her shoes and looked at Carmilla like it was the most obvious thing. "We can go to breakfast after you finish your smoke." She smiled sweetly, making Carmilla think that if she kissed her then (which she totally didn't do outside of sex because that would be ridiculous and against everything she had taught herself to avoid) that she would taste bitter. Carmilla couldn't help but think that Laura was catching on to why she was pushing her away, which meant she had to pull her in closer.

Carmilla nodded, her throat empty with the lack of smoke filling it. Her fingers itched for the familiar feel of a cigarette between middle and forefinger. She missed how it felt to hold the filter for too long between her lips, and to feel the smoke burn her throat, to choke on the nicotine. She picked up on the habit soon after her time in isolation. She took comfort in her trauma, without it she felt like a starving dog on the streets, constantly looking for an outstretched hand to keep her just at the surface. Without her past, Carmilla forgot how to live in the present.

She figured that Laura was just doing this to spite her. She didn't really want to go to breakfast with her, because who would? Carmilla didn't even eat breakfast. "Fine." She said, her voice taking on an uncharacteristic tone of lighthearted fluff. She had to pretend right? And the one thing Carmilla was good at, more than anything else, was her acting.

XXX

Will slipped in through the back door, making his way through the back hallway that held the changing rooms. It was a bit early, but he liked to make sure everything was in its place before he unlocked the doors to The Black Cat.

He could hear clinking near the bar as he entered the main floor of the club. He could see the top of someone's head from behind the counter, like someone was kneeling down behind it. Craning his neck to see, Will smiled warmly, "I thought I told you not to come in till later." He said as he perched himself atop one of the stools.

"Well I just thought I could come and help unload the new inventory, you shouldn't have to put it all away by yourself." Kirsch said as he stood back up with two shot glasses, placing them down onto the bar in front of them. He poured them each a shot and then a beer to chase it with.

Will watched him, his cold eyes filled with warmth. "What's the occasion?"

Kirsch shrugged, holding up his shot to toast, "To life-long bros."

They clinked glasses and threw their heads back to take their shot.

Will began to sip at his beer as Kirsch continued, "Plus I met this really great girl."

Will's eyes narrowed as he nearly choked on his beer. His eyes flickered down to the red scratch on the inside of Kirsch's bicep; he would need to do it sooner if he wanted any chance with him.

Will stood, setting his unfinished glass down and smiled lightly up at him. "That's great man, it really is."

"You'll have to meet her sometime, she's pretty great."

"I bet." Will said, an angry glint in his eye that could be perceived as a reflection from the lights overhead, his fangs threatening to slide out of his gums.

XXX

A week later Carmilla purposefully walked past the same street corner again. Robert was at his post yet again handing out papers left and right.

When he looked up from where he was counting his money, his eyes widened when he saw Carmilla standing in front of him.

"One paper, please." She said, handing over a nickel.

He smiled, bowed lips turned up at the corners to reveal barely there dimples. After the exchange of paper and coin, he spoke. "I thought you weren't going to come back."

Carmilla shrugged, looking up into those pale blue eyes and found it hard to breathe. "I was busy; work isn't always there for you to come back to."

Robert's actions froze, "You work?"

Carmilla let a ghost of a smirk grace her lips as she nodded.

"But how, I mean, not to be impolite but you're a woman." He said, concerned.

Carmilla looked him up and down, "Well if you're asking if I have to do what you do, the answer is no."

Robert straightened, shaking his head. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Carmilla let herself smirk more noticeably now. "Come with me, and you'll never have to hide who you are ever again."

XXX

Carmilla busied herself long enough with a quickly burning cigarette, holding onto it until it was short enough to burn her fingertips.

Laura eyed her wearily as she watched Carmilla not even bother to react to the burn before the slightly taller girl tucked her hand away so that the human couldn't see the burn fade away.

"You said something about breakfast?" She asked instead, looking down at Laura through her bangs.

Laura nodded, biting her lip softly to hide a smile. She wasn't exactly sure how far she could push the dancer before she fled once more.

"Yeah, there's a café a couple blocks from here."

Carmilla nodded, grinding out the still burning stub with the toe of her boot, the ring of lipstick turning into a blemished smear. "Lead the way."

After they sat down with their food, Laura wasted no time in asking the question that had been swimming around in her head for the past couple of weeks. "So, what are we exactly?"

"We?"

"Yeah, I mean we've been seeing each other for almost a month." She nervously looked up from her plate, regretting it immediately as she noticed the look that crossed Carmilla's face, a look of fear and disgust. She quickly looked back down at the table top, tucking her chin into her sweatshirt as she began to talk at a faster pace, "I mean we don't have to talk about it. Who needs a label anyways right? It's just for other people to place us in a corner and who says we can't have the whole stage?" She nervously laughed, picking back up her fork to push around her eggs with.

Carmilla stayed silent, nodding slightly as she went back to sipping from her mug. Laura was beginning to feel something for her, and normally that would be a good thing, but Carmilla only felt her heart dropping into her stomach, hoping upon hope that it would be dissolved by the acid that resided there.


	8. Falling

"Am I out of luck? Am I waiting to break?

When I keep sayin' that I'm lookin' for a way to escape

Oh I'm wishin' I had what I'm takin' for granted

I can't have you and I'm only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I'm gonna mess this up, oh, this is just my luck

Over and over and over again

I'm sorry for everything, no, everything I've done

From the second that I was born and since I had a loaded gun

And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved

Oh I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved."

-'Shots' by Imagine Dragons

XXX

Danny was the first person Laura ever had sex with, which meant she wasn't prepared to wake up in an empty bed with lipstick still smeared on her neck, breasts, and hips. Danny for one never wore lipstick, only the occasional lip gloss, second she always spent the night especially the first one. And she cuddled, and most definitely did not leave Laura sore. Of course Danny also never exceeded past giving three orgasms and she certainly didn't have nowhere near as much skill with her tongue like Carmilla had.

Laura let Carmilla skip out three more times before bringing it up. "Do you think that maybe, you'd want to spend the night again?" She held her breath, nervous and terrified from Carmilla's answer of a predictable no.

"Spend the night?" Carmilla asked dubiously from where she was pulling her pants back on.

Laura stared down at her hands. "Yeah, it's just, you always leave right after and-"

Carmilla cut her off, "And you want me to stay and cuddle. Sorry cutie, I don't do fuzzy and warm."

_You did that one night_. Laura thought bitterly before scoffing, "Please, you're hardly friendly."

"You didn't seem to mind all too much." Carmilla said with one brow raised and a knowing glint in her eye to go along with her devilish smirk. A fifth round she could do, but this, whatever _this_ was, she couldn't do it.

Laura sighed, frowning. "Just forget I said anything."

Carmilla studied her for a moment, chewing on the inside of her lip, feeling the skin break and the all too familiar taste of blood flirt with her taste buds. She barely felt the prick of her fangs threatening to unsheathe.

She had been disappointing Laura a lot lately, pissing her off even, which she didn't mind, because an angry Laura meant for a good fuck. But she needed to start giving her more than just sex if she wanted her to stay, if she wanted her to still be willing in two months when it was time for the sacrifice.

She dropped her pants and climbed back onto the bed. "I'm going to regret this, but fine."

Laura squealed before practically hurling herself into the taller girl's arms and knocking them both back onto the small mattress.

Carmilla tentatively wrapped her arms around the eager girl's waist, folding her fingers together at the small of her back. "If you tell anyone about this you won't be getting head for a week."

Laura giggled, knowing she wouldn't. She could barely go a day without having the girl's lips everywhere.

When Laura woke the next morning, Carmilla was gone, the sheets beside her cold.

XXX

Carmilla entered the house quietly. It was the middle of the night. Everyone was sound asleep, or at least she was hoping they were. All dancers plus William's deep breaths were accounted for, yet there was the sound of heels clicking back and forth down the hall. Carmilla gulped, _she_ was home.

She knew that she was being waited on, knew that mother didn't just pace in her office in her spare time. Carmilla knew that she knew something. She let out a quick breath before walking towards the cracked door, fixing her eyes onto the glare of the light flooding out into the hallway. She hadn't seen mother in over a year, and she liked it that way.

She heard the pacing stop as she pushed the door open the rest of the way. "Mother."

"Mircalla, good to know that you do come home before the sun rises." Mother said as she eyed the much shorter girl up and down.

Carmilla stayed silent, knowing that nothing good could come from talking back. She was meant to listen, not to speak. She had to learn that early on.

"Now tell me Mircalla, do you always stay out this late or should I worry like I should have all those years ago?"

Carmilla gulped her mouth dry and her tongue rough. Still she didn't even try and give a response.

Mother watched her as she walked to her desk, sitting along the edge of it, nails tapping along the wood finish. "You remember what I told you, yes?"

Carmilla stared at her feet.

"You can answer me."

Carmilla nodded timidly, afraid to look up.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, and I want to hear you speak. Let me hear that beautiful sultry voice of yours."

The dark haired girl looked up at her creator, the woman that she called mother. "Yes, I remember."

Mother smiled a sick crook of a smile, "Good. I would hate to put my most prized possession down."

Carmilla felt a chill run up her spine, refusing to move. If she moved she would give mother one more thing to point out to her. It would let her know that Carmilla had no control over such things humans didn't even hesitate to react to. She refused to be compared to who she used to be. She was different now; a decade alone in a cold room was enough for her to know what she should and shouldn't do in front of mother. She couldn't love, couldn't be herself, and above all couldn't speak her mind. If mother knew exactly how she thought of the girl she had been lying with just an hour before, ten years of solitary would be the least of her worries.

"You can go now." Mother broke the silence with her ice-y, careless tone.

Carmilla nodded, turning to leave.

"Oh and Mircalla?"

Carmilla froze in the door way.

"Don't make me have to look into Miss Hollis."

XXX

Laura didn't hear from Carmilla for two days.

On the third day nearing the fourth, there was a knock on her door. A quiet one, as if the person didn't believe what they were doing was the right thing. Which is why when Laura answered the door in an oversized shirt, boxers, and bunched up fuzzy socks, her hair pulled back in a messy bun and her glasses adorning her face, that Carmilla almost ran away; almost.

"Carmilla?"

Carmilla fell into Laura's arms, nearly missing her mouth with her lips. She needed comfort, and sex was her comfort. She decided on listening to Elle for once, because Carmilla was already fucked. She liked Laura that much was so stupidly obvious in her head. She needed to be fucked.

Laura's eyes widened at the mouth that felt more like a vacuum on her neck. She bit back a moan as she pushed Carmilla back to look at her. "Carm, what's wrong?"

"Just _fuck_ me." Carmilla said her voice cracking. She didn't want to talk.

This time Laura didn't push her away when she went back in for another kiss. Instead she pulled her in closer, hoping that if she touched her soft enough that she would understand. That if she kissed her hard enough Carmilla would just know how much she meant to her. Whether either one of them wanted to admit it or not the past month that they had spent together in bed was beginning to corrode their hearts.

Laura pushed her towards the bed, tugging the hem of her shirt up until Carmilla raised her arms to discard it somewhere onto the floor. Her pants were next, as Laura pulled them down her legs, kneeling down to kiss every inch of skin that was exposed to cold air, feeling the goose bumps beneath her lips as if she was a blind woman trying to read braille.

Carmilla weaved her fingers into her hair pulling it out of its bun and tugging on it to bring her mouth closer. She didn't have time for soft caresses, she needed to be roughed up and fucked hard.

Laura knew this, and chose not to give it to her. She wouldn't do what Elle does, she would be different. She would make Carmilla want her more.

She kissed her way back up Carmilla's thighs, fingers ghosting up her hips and then her sides, making their way up to trace the cups of her bra with a fingertip. Carmilla shivered, her hands leaving Laura's hair to pull on her shoulders, pulling her up towards her mouth.

They kissed softly, soundly. It was like no kiss Carmilla had ever shared with someone that she hadn't cared immensely for.

Laura felt her cheeks getting wet, but before she could ask if Carmilla was crying, the dancer spoke against her lips, "Shut up." before pressed her lips harder into hers, no doubt creating a bruise there. Laura opened her mouth slowly, letting Carmilla's tongue meet hers halfway.

Laura wanted to go slow; she wanted to brand every touch she gave her into Carmilla's head. That when the girl went to sleep every night after, the back of her eyelids would paint a picture of how Laura worshiped her body that night, her eyes drinking every expanse of skin in like she was the last drop of water for miles.

Laura kissed back down her body, whispering silent pleas into her skin in hopes that she would feel the same way.

Raking blunt nails back down her sides, Laura sucked hickies into each hipbone, thinking that if she marked her that she would remember this moment just like she had every time she looked into a mirror.

"Laura." Carmilla hissed feeling the human pause in her ministrations.

Laura stared down at Carmilla's hips, watching each love bite she gave disappear before her eyes. She let out a ragged breath, shaking her head lightly before kissing lower, forgetting the odd fading of bruises for the moment.

Laura ran a finger over Carmilla's covered slit, watching it darken and dampen beneath her touch.

Carmilla's eyes fluttered shut, biting back a moan. She refused to believe herself a molten wanton mess.

Laura slipped a hand beneath the dancer's panties, eliciting a moan from her. She smiled lightly, pressing a kiss to her pubic bone before pulling down her underwear all together, balling them up and dropping them off the side of the bed. She moved back, trailing her lips lower; tongue poking out slightly as she mouthed over her mound and placed a kiss to her swollen clit.

Carmilla let out a hiss, tangling her fingers back into caramel locks, and pulling, making Laura moan into her.

It wasn't rough, but it was needy and Laura chose not to drag it out any further than she already had. With just a few more strokes of her tongue, Carmilla left all caution to the wind, her hand barely reaching her mouth in time to muffle her moan.

Laura sat up; wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before flopping down on the mattress beside her, pulling the blanket up over Carmilla's cooling body. Placing a kiss to her shoulder, Laura leaned back, knowing that Carmilla wasn't one for closeness outside of sex.

After the vampire caught her breath, she closed her eyes, her voice shaky as she willed the tears away. This was it; she was choosing to open up to her. She wanted Laura to stay; she wanted the human to know that she cared enough to share her thoughts with her. Carmilla wanted Laura to know that she liked her for more than her body, so she told her in the only way she knew how. "It's my mother." She said quietly.

"Your mother?"

"Yes, she was away for business in Italy." Okay so technically she was telling the truth, just not giving any specifics.

Laura's brows bunched together, "Do you not get along?"

Carmilla wanted to laugh bitterly just as much as she wanted to throw up every lie mother had ever fed to her, but not nearly as much as she wanted to throw herself off of a bridge. Instead she leaned her head down on Laura's shoulder and whispered. "I guess you could say that."

Laura's eyes widened at the affection, tentatively wrapping an arm around her waist, the other stroking her hair as Carmilla buried her face in her neck.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She felt Carmilla shake her head and croak out a 'no' before beginning to purr. When she snuck out of this very room that morning, the last thing that she had expected would be that she'd wind up back there.

Laura waited a whole two minutes before breaking the silence. "So like this is weird, is this weird for you?"

Well it wasn't until she brought attention to it. Carmilla shifted, sitting up to look at her. "I thought this is what you wanted wasn't it?"

Laura sighed, she did want this, but not because Carmilla felt like she had to. She wanted more than sex with Carmilla, couldn't she see that? Or maybe she did see that and just didn't feel the same way. She could feel Carmilla's eyes on her. Picking her words carefully before speaking, "Do you think it's weird that all we ever do is have sex?"

Carmilla's eyes darkened, brow furrowing slightly. She knew where this was going to go. "That's not true, we had breakfast together once."

Laura nodded, "That was a week ago and I practically forced you to go."

Carmilla frowned, "I've been really shitty to you haven't I?"

Laura shrugged, "You haven't been particular warm if that's what you're saying, definitely closed off."

Carmilla leaned back down, spent from her earlier orgasm. Her eyes drooping shut as she allowed Laura to wrap an arm around her waist. "I'll tell you soon."

Laura stayed up late into the night, trying to figure out exactly what Carmilla had meant. What was she going to tell her?

XXX

Kirsch found her in the weight room; again.

"Working up a sweat or is the sweat working you up?" he asked when he saw her leaning back against one of the four cinderblock walls, gulping down water from a thermos.

Danny's eyes fluttered open at his voice, wiping her mouth of excess water before capping the thermos and letting it drop to her feet on the mat. "It's a little late for a round two." she said.

Kirsch smiled, looking down at his clothes. He wasn't dressed for a workout, which was exactly what wrestling Danny was. "Just came down here to ask you something."

"And what would that be?" she asked as she moved back over to one of the few punching bags that were still attached to the ceiling.

Kirsch stuffed his hands into his pockets, suddenly nervous. Staring down at his sneakers, he formulated his words. "The Silas formal is in a week, and I was wondering if you'd want to go?"

Danny swung at the bag, not bothering to look up at him. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Well yeah, I wasn't planning on getting a pedicure for nothing."

Kirsch nodded, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling the heat creep up into his cheeks. "I meant, are you going with anyone?"

Danny froze for a minute. Was he asking her out? She shook her head before hitting the bag again, stupid, stupid, stupid. "Just with my friends." She said casually.

Kirsch stared at her back, watching the muscles beneath her tank top stretch and flex beneath the damp material. "Oh."

"Are you going?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah." He thought quickly, "I'm going with my buddy Will."

That made Danny stop what she was doing. Will? As in Will Eisen? The Black Cat Will Eisen? She shook her head, of course it was him. Kirsch worked with the guy. Maybe he was gay or bi? Either way it was none of her business.

"That's cool."

"Yeah." Kirsch said, knowing that this conversation was a flop. His attempt to asking Danny out had failed.

"Maybe I'll see you there." Danny said as she started up her punching again.

"Yeah, maybe."

XXX

Laura woke the next morning with a weight beside her; she had stayed.


	9. Dead End

"Help I'm alive

My heart keeps beating like a hammer

Hard to be soft

Tough to be tender

Come take my pulse the pace is on a runaway train."

-'Help I'm Alive' by Metric

XXX

"Wait, she actually stayed through the entire night? You didn't wake up with her trying to sneak out?" LaF asked as they sat across from Laura in Perry's room.

Laura grinned widely, nodding, "Yeah, when I woke up she was still asleep."

LaF chuckled, "You must have brought you're A game Hollis to get her to conk out."

"_LaFontaine_." Perry scolded from her spot at her desk where she was answering a few emails to concerned girls in the dorms about the ghost that had been haunting the dorm kitchen.

LaF rolled their eyes before shifting closer to Laura, "Are you going to ask her to the formal?"

Laura shrugged, "I don't know, I mean I want to. I just keep thinking that she's not into that sort of thing."

LaFontaine nodded, but scrunched their eyebrows up after a moment in confusion, "What do you mean, that sort of thing?"

Laura sighed, "Well it's just, for the exception of last night she hasn't wanted more than sex. I think she might be aromantic."

LaFontaine nodded, understanding now. "She could be, but you can never really know for sure unless you ask. I mean before I identified as gender queer, I was homoromantic."

Perry looked up and smiled at LaFontaine before going back to her email.

Laura was confused. "Homoromantic?"

"Yeah, it basically means that although I was sexually attracted to both sexes, I was only romantically interested in girls, but now that I don't identify as a girl I'm just me. I love who I love and that's good enough." LaFontaine said smiling as they looked over at Perry's hunched shoulders in awe.

Laura smiled, she couldn't think of a time where she saw someone so in love with the exception of her parents when her mother was still alive (or when her father looked at a picture of his wife or when he went to the cemetery to talk to her).

LaFontaine looked back at Laura, "But just, don't assume anything until she tells you, and if she cares about you, which to be quite frank it seems like she does, then she will tell you. Just be open about it when she does. It takes a lot of guts to come out as something that isn't as common or seen as real."

Laura nodded, "Of course. I should probably go though; I have a lunch date with Carm in half an hour."

LaF grinned, "A date huh? You're certainly moving on up now, L."

XXX

Carmilla sat on a stool at the bar. Work didn't start for another couple of hours but she needed to get out of the house, away from mother.

"What are you moping around about?" Will asked as he washed and dried off a few tumblers that had been left out from the night before.

Carmilla rolled her eyes. She wasn't moping, just partaking in her favorite past time- self-loathing. "Why aren't you? I hear lover boy has his eyes on someone else, a girl someone else." She said, hoping to cut through his arrogance with her words.

He barely flinched, throwing a towel over his shoulder and leaning onto the bar. "That's all you got Kitty? Such a shame, you used to bite harder."

"I only bite the ones I find worthy of it, a good scratching on the other hand can be arranged."

He chuckled as his eyes left Carmilla and instead landed on something behind her. "Mother, lovely seeing you here." He called out across the bar as he watched the older woman enter the club through the back where her office sat.

"Hello William, Carmilla." She said in passing as she walked up to her son and smiled down at him.

Carmilla wanted to vomit. Will had been right about one thing. Ever since she had turned Elle, mother hadn't looked at her the same. She may have been her 'diamond', but William sure moved up the ladder to her favorite during Carmilla's time in solitary.

"I have to go." She said, standing from her stool.

"No you don't, I haven't dismissed you yet." Mother said, not even bothering to look over at her.

Carmilla's teeth grinded together as she glared down at the counter top.

"I came down here to talk to the both of you. Since you two are my best, I need you to let all the other girls know that a sacrifice isn't necessary this year."

Carmilla looked up at her mother. What the fuck was she talking about? There was always a need for sacrifices once a year to keep the light at bay.

Mother looked over at Carmilla, a smirk creeping its way onto her face. "We're doing something different this year, my darlings."

"What do you mean?" Will asked, did this mean he wouldn't have to hide Kirsch once he turned him?

Mother looked over at him. "Well we've always been sure to keep the light from swallowing us whole, but this time I want to try something different. There was a reason I went to Italy. There is a coven there; the oldest vampires reside in Sicily."

Carmilla listened intently. Waiting for the catch, there was always a catch.

"I was told that if there was a body strong enough, the light could envelop it and become a living breathing thing. I want to use it."

"What's the catch?" Carmilla found herself asking, her eyes widening as she quickly looked down, only allowing herself to peak up through her bangs.

"Catch? Why Mircalla, there is no catch. I know what you see me as, but the only thing I want more than anything else is for my darling daughter to see me as more than a monster. After all you too are a monster. I wish you could see yourself as you truly are, if you did, I wouldn't have to worry about you repeating past mistakes."

Carmilla bit her lip. Unshed tears burning her eyes, she was _not_ a monster. Well, she used to be and then she wasn't, and then she was again. She _is_ a monster. Mother was right, she always had been.

"Anyways, all I need is a body strong enough to house the light, and the good news is that we already know who that body is." Mother continued after a long silence.

"And who's that?" Will asked like the good student he was, always eager to learn from his mother's hand.

"Carmilla found her already." Mother answered, staring at Carmilla's bowed head, mirth in her eyes. "Laura Hollis."

XXX

Laura sat at a booth in the small café. Carmilla was late; _really_ late.

"Sorry I'm late." Carmilla said gruffly as she flopped down across from her. She was drenched.

"Did you walk here?" Laura asked.

Carmilla looked up from the menu, her eyes wild and bewildered. "What?"

"Did you walk here, you're soaked."

Carmilla looked down at herself, "Oh, yeah I guess I did."

Laura looked at her confused, opening her mouth to speak when a waitress came over to take their orders.

Once they ordered and were alone again. Laura decided not to ask Carmilla why she walked all the way to the café that was on campus, and a taxi ride away from the club. It was a decent walk, especially in the rain.

"I have to ask you something." Laura said instead, deciding just to go for it.

Carmilla looked up once more from her coffee cup. Her eyes intent on Laura's face, "And what would that be, cupcake?"

_Great, so back to nicknames, _Laura thought. "The Silas Formal is in a few days, and I wanted to know if you'd want to go with me?"

Carmilla continued to stare at her. Mother would want her to go, she wanted to go; which meant that she couldn't, not if she wanted Laura to stay alive.

"I don't think that'd be wise, cutie." She said, looking back down at her coffee.

Laura pouted, "And why wouldn't it be wise?" she asked.

Carmilla shrugged, "It's on Saturday right?"

"Well, yeah."

"I have to work."

"Can't you take off?"

Carmilla shook her head, "Sorry buttercup, but work is work, can't skip it for some silly dance."

Laura flinched at the carelessness in Carmilla's tone, a lump jamming its way into her throat. Suddenly the booth was too small, and she wanted to be anywhere that Carmilla wasn't. She reached into her bag for money to cover her half of lunch and stood to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Carmilla asked, wishing she hadn't. The look on Laura's face was enough to know that she had hurt her. Something she thought she wouldn't care about until she had done it.

"I think we need some space." Laura said, shifting from one foot to the other. She couldn't look at Carmilla, if she did she would sit back down and she may not get another chance to stand up and walk away. Maybe this would be the end of whatever it was they were. Carmilla clearly didn't care whether they did more than just fuck. When she brought it up to her she didn't want to be more than what they already were. Maybe it was for the best that she breaks it off now, before she got hurt more than she already had.

"I have to go." Laura said before leaving the café, welcoming the rain as it mixed with her tears, letting Laura forget that they were there to begin with. She wasn't a child anymore that needed to be consoled by someone bigger and older than her. She had only been with Carmilla for three weeks, and even then she had never been with her past the physical part. She wasn't worth her tears.

Carmilla sat back at the café, stunned. She hadn't thought that when she agreed to a lunch date that it would end with Laura walking away. She hadn't thought what they had would be over so soon; before it had even started.

She clenched the edge of the table in her hands, feeling it threaten to splinter beneath her fingertips. She needed to fix this, before her mother found out about it. _She couldn't fail her again. _

She quickly placed her money down on the table and then left. She still had a dress in her closet that she had been saving for the right occasion.

XXX

Two days later LaFontaine was getting ready for the formal in Perry's room.

"Perr, have you seen my bow tie?" LaF asked as they ran hand through their hair to push it back and out of their face.

Perry rolled her eyes, smiling warmly as she asked LaF to stand in front of her so she could put it on them herself (if she didn't they would no doubt nearly choke themselves like they did last time).

LaFontaine stared down at their feet, hands fidgeting. All they could think about was the box that felt as if it was burning a hole through their slacks. "Um, Perr?"

"Yes, sweetie?" she asked, eyes fixed on their bowtie, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she tied the bow just right.

"I got you something, well us something."

Perry looked up at them, "It better not be like the last present."

LaF's face flushed red as they thought back on the dinner they tried and failed to make for their anniversary. "No, it's an actual present this time."

Perry finished tying the bow tie and stood back, letting her hands drop down to her sides. "Well what is it?"

LaFontaine nodded, right. They fumbled with the box, pulling it out of their pocket and nearly dropping it. "It's um, just open it."

Perry took the box, eyes wide. It couldn't be, could it? She opened it and nearly began crying, tears threatening to spill over and onto her cheeks.

Inside the box lay two silver bands. One that said 'My Person' and the other said 'My Heart'.

LaFontaine looked up at Perry's confused look. "They're promise rings, one for you and one for me."

Perry sniffled, "I'm your heart?"

"And I'm your person."

They slipped the rings onto each other's fingers, and shared a kiss before pulling away. LaFontaine wiped Perry's tears away and said, "We should probably meet up with Danny before she and Laura get in another argument."

Perry nodded, turning to grab her bag before shutting the door on their way out.

XXX

"All I'm saying is that you don't need to read Beowulf to fully understand what's going on." Laura said to Danny as they stood in the lobby waiting on LaF and Perry.

"And all I'm saying is that you are just a know-it-all that got lucky." Danny bit back, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration.

"Guys, maybe we just shouldn't talk until Perry and LaFontaine get here." Grayson said from her spot beside Laura.

"Why did you bring her anyways, what happened to _Kitty_?"

Laura ignored Danny as she turned back to her date.

Grayson was an art student who worked commissions for restaurants and the like. Her blue hair made her one brown eye stand out brown her other blue one. She was tall but not too tall, standing at 5'7. She was wearing a knee length black dress, a contrast to Laura's purple one.

Perry had introduced them to one another in the beginning of the year, and Laura had always found the girl's whimsical side endearing so she asked her to the formal.

"Oh good, everyone is still alive." Perry said on her entrance into the lobby, LaFontaine trailing behind her.

Danny rolls her eyes, glaring at the door. "Can we go now? I need a drink."

They set out for the gymnasium, walking along the sidewalk and ran into Kirsch and Will.

"Hey, Danny." Kirsch greeted.

Danny looked up, flustered from her earlier argument in addition to seeing Grayson and Laura walking so closely together. She still had feelings for Laura, but then there was Kirsch, and she was just really confused. "Hi, Kirsch." She said, walking around him when she caught Will's eye.

"On your way to the gym?" he asked, following her down the pathway.

"Yeah." She said, continuing to walk when a figure in front of her caught her eye. She stopped dead in her tracks and fought back the urge to laugh, and failed.

Everyone looked at Danny, confused.

"You really fucked up now, Hollis." Danny said mid laugh. This was just too good.

Walking right towards them was Carmilla in a silk black gown that was snug in all the right places, flowing down past her knees and kissed her ankles.

Laura looked up from where she was talking to Grayson about her most recent English paper, confusion soon turning into anger. "What are you doing here?"

Carmilla stopped walking when she reached the group, eyes first meeting Laura's, giving her outfit a once over, before landing on her date. "I thought I'd surprise you." She said, her voice weaker then she had meant for it to be.

Laura shook her head, laughter bubbling up out of her throat in bitterness. "You said you had to work; besides this isn't happening. We're taking a break, which means you don't get to try and sweep me off of my feet and just show up unannounced looking like _that._"

Carmilla smirked at that last part. She did make a point to look good.

"We're gonna go ahead, we'll catch up with you later Laura." Perry said as she took a hold of LaF's hand and tugged them along in the direction of the gym.

Kirsch and Will followed, Danny trailing behind still chuckling to herself.

"Laura, what's going on?" Grayson asked, confused. LaFontaine had told her that Laura had been involved with a girl but that it had been put on hold, so to speak.

Laura looked to her date, "I'm sorry Grayson, this is my-" how was she to explain who Carmilla was to her? They were never girlfriends. Ex fuck buddy? Ex-fling?

Carmilla spoke up, "I'm Carmilla, and who might you be?"

Grayson looked down at Carmilla, still not exactly sure whether or not this woman was trying to start something. She wasn't one for fighting. "I'm Grayson."

Carmilla nodded, stepping closer to them. "Why have I not seen you around before?"

Grayson shook her head, suddenly feeling a bit dazed. "Um, I'm usually working."

Carmilla cocked her head to the side, "And what is work for you?"

Laura watched, confused. What was happening, what was Carmilla doing?

Grayson stared at Carmilla, "I paint, usually murals for libraries or restaurants."

Carmilla smiled sickly sweet, "And what are your intentions with Laura tonight?"

"She asked me to the formal and I've always thought she was cute so I said yes."

The vampire froze, feeling her resolve begin to slip as she looked over to Laura and realized what she was doing. She was falling back into old ways, mother would be so proud.

She turned back to Grayson though because she was selfish, because she wanted Laura all to herself, and because mother would kill her if she let the tiny human slip through her fingers. "Yes well, Laura is with me, or she _was_ with me and I'd like to fix that. So if you wouldn't mind, I'm going to have to cut your date short."

Grayson nodded sluggishly before blinking a few times, turning to Laura, "Hey Laura, I don't feel so good, I didn't really sleep all too much last night. I'll see you around though."

Laura stood, watching as Grayson walked away before turning back to Carmilla. "What the _fuck _was that?!" she was pissed. Carmilla didn't get to just show up here and scare her date away, and she wasn't some prize to be won.

Carmilla looked at Laura, she looked like a predator. "You are in far over your head, cutie."

"Don't call me that."

"What would you like me to call you then?"

"Laura, you used to call me by my actual name. Ever since your mother came back you've been cold and distant. We had a great night and now you are acting like this whole other person that I don't want to know. I thought we were actually getting somewhere."

Carmilla nearly growled, shifting from one foot to the other. "_Wrong_, you thought you were breaking me down into the mold you wanted me to fit in."

Laura clenched her hands down by her sides into fists. "You are insufferable!"

Carmilla raised a brow, biting her lip in amusement. "And you like to find the good in everyone, just face it cupcake, not everyone is good."

Laura shook her head, "You could be; you just choose not to even try."

Carmilla nearly flinched. This girl knew nothing about her. She didn't know what she was or what she had been through, yet she was pushing her in any way she could just to get a rise out of her. "Being the good guy wasn't necessarily a good color on me."

Laura looked up at her, "I doubt that."

Carmilla looked away, not really knowing what to say. She tried to scare her off, after all isn't that what she just did? She enchanted someone right in front of her and yet she was still standing there, looking up at the vampire like she hung the stars in the sky. Laura was angry though, that much was obvious. It made a chill run up Carmilla's back, imagining what it would feel like to be pushed back into something hard and bitten and scratched. It made her flustered to think what Laura was capable of once she was truly mad.

She shook her head to rid herself of the images of Laura fucking her. Clearing her throat, she spoke. "Do you really want to know?"

Laura raised a brow, arms crossed. "Know what?"

"What it is I did to that girl."

"Grayson."

"Whatever."

"Yes I do, want to know."

Carmilla nodded, the girl was curious. She had every right to be. She had been curious once herself. She looked around the quad before shaking her head, holding out her hand. "Not here."

Laura stared at her outstretched palm, "We are not going back to my room to have sex, you understand?"

Carmilla grimaced. She hadn't wanted to be seen in such a light by Laura, but it came to her attention that she never gave her anything else to go by. "I won't do anything you don't want." She replied, smug but honest. If anything she didn't want to do the hunting tonight, she wanted to be the prey.

Laura nodded, placing her hand in Carmilla's. "I want answers."

"And you will get them." Carmilla said before beginning the walk back to the dorms.

XXX

Kirsch took a sip of his punch. He had made sure to spike it before those gnomes got a chance to (last year everyone had turned purple for a week. LaF had never been so happy to have kept all of their Barney jokes stored away for a rainy day).

"So this is kind of boring." Will said beside him, looking up at Kirsch like he was the only one in the room.

Kirsch nodded along to the music, watching Danny talk to a bunch of Summer Society girls. He couldn't help but watch her, she looked beautiful tonight. He wished he could tell her just that.

Will took notice to Kirsch's blank stare, putting two and two together before nearly crushing the cup in his hand into dust. He grated his teeth together as he formulated a plan in his head. He didn't want it to have to come to this, but from the looks of it, it was the only way he was going to get what he wanted. He reached up, grasping the back of Kirsch's head and directed his eyes towards him.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Kirsch blurted out.

"You have eyes for me and only me." Will said, as he stroked the nape of his neck.

Kirsch blinked, before he stood up straight. "You look good, bro."

Will scoffed; of course. Well at least mother had taught him well.

XXX

"Wait so you're a _vampire_?"

Carmilla nodded slowly, not exactly sure where Laura was going with this.

Laura paced the room. It wasn't so bad. It was believable. She wasn't an amateur when it came to the supernatural, but she had never been _intimate_ with one, or at least she thinks she hasn't.

"Not going to run for the hills screaming bloody murder?" Carmilla asked, staring down at her chipped nails, she had to act indifferent; otherwise Laura might really run away.

"Of course not." Laura quickly said, whether it was to assure Carmilla or herself, she wasn't entirely sure yet.

"Are you sure?"

Laura nodded, slowly sitting down in the desk chair. "So if you're a vampire, what you were doing back there to Grayson, were you doing that to me too?"

Carmilla flinched, how could Laura possibly think that? "What I did to that girl is something I haven't and _never_ would do to you."

Laura nodded, wanting to believe her. "What did you do to her? It was like she didn't even know herself."

"It's called enchanting. Basically it just means we convince them to do or to think whatever we want them to. Elle was doing it to you that night at the club. Will does it a lot too."

"But you don't?" Laura asked, confused. The way Carmilla was describing it made it seem like she wasn't a big fan of it.

"Tonight I got mad, I wasn't thinking. Normally I'm not so petty. I like people to have free thoughts." Carmilla said simply.

Laura let all of this sink in, or as much of it as she could. It still wasn't the easiest thing for her to understand, but looking up at Carmilla who had lost all traces of indifference and instead looked lost and even nervous, it made her want to.

"I'm tired." Laura announced, standing up from her chair.

Carmilla nodded, they had been talking for a couple of hours now. "I should probably get going."

Laura froze, she didn't want Carmilla to leave, that much was clear, but she didn't want her to think she was off the hook either. "Betty transferred."

Carmilla looked confused. What did Laura's roommate have anything to do with this? "What?"

Laura moved towards the armoire to grab her pajamas. "You should stay, it's pretty late. You can sleep in Betty's old bed."

Carmilla nodded all thoughts of mother and Will all buried in the back of her head. She just wanted Laura to be happy, so she nodded her head.

Laura smiled, pressing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt into Carmilla's chest. "You can go get changed first."

XXX

Later that night as Carmilla lay awake; she couldn't help but think how fortunate she was for the outcome of the night. She was so sure that Laura was going to be angrier with her.

She could hear Laura shift in her sleep, and smiled. She couldn't even chastise herself for sleeping in a completely different bed because Laura wasn't mad at her, and that was enough.

Carmilla looked over at Laura's sleeping form and felt an all too familiar flutter in her chest. The smile she had on her face quickly sliding away into a frown. Her heart had let out a faint beat. _Fuck. _


	10. You Used to Love Me Like Her

"Just please don't say you love me

'Cause I might not say it back

Doesn't mean my heart stops skipping when you look at me like that

There's no need to worry when you see just where we're at

Just please don't say you love me

'Cause I might not say it back."

-'Please Don't Say You Love Me' by Gabrielle Aplin

XXX

Carmilla sat up all night, staring up at the opaque ceiling.

Her heart had only beaten once, but it was a warning. At least to her it was. The last time this had happened Carmilla had fallen ass over heels for Elle. She had been punch drunk and love stupid. It couldn't be happening again. She wouldn't allow it to. Carmilla Karnstein had been hurt enough times, and even if Laura didn't have it in her to hurt her, mother would. Mother would have her head, literally.

But Carmilla wanted this, she wanted Laura. She had been biting her tongue for long enough. She deserved this, she deserved happiness and Laura. She finally wanted to start living a life worth having, centuries of brute force and monstrous ways only brought on a depression that Carmilla had wallowed in for far too long. She wanted an out, and this looked like as good a chance as any.

She finally fell asleep knowing that things could get better if she let it.

XXX

Carmilla woke to a dead weight beside her, the mattress dipping slightly beneath it. She peaked out through her lashes, turning her head to see Laura asleep next to her.

It was as if she could feel eyes on her, without opening her eyes she burrowed further into Carmilla's side. "Not a word."

The vampire chuckled before letting the moment sink in, Laura was knowingly cuddling with a blood sucking demon. It made her heart swell, biting her lip and willing her heart not to beat so close to the human's ear. Thankfully it didn't, and she fell back asleep just like that, holding Laura close in a awy she never expected to.

XXX

When Carmilla woke again, she was alone. She sat up, taking her time to stretch before eyes landed on a sticky note stuck to her discarded pants. She smiled, picking it up:

_Had class will be back around 5pm._

_xx Laura_

Carmilla grinned, standing up as she decided to make use of the shower. She was half way through her shower when she heard a banging at the door followed by a voice worriedly calling out for Laura.

Carmilla quickly got dressed, running a hand through her damp hair and then wrenched open the door, nearly getting punching in the face.

"Where is she?" Danny growled when she saw Carmilla, her canines bared and her eyes a sharp and icy blue.

"Calm down wolf, she left a note that says she's in class." Carmilla said, leaning back into the door.

Danny scoffed, narrowing her eyes down at the darker girl. "It was my class she should've been in, and she wasn't there."

Carmilla's brow furrowed in confusion.

Danny pushed past her, "Let me see that note."

Carmilla watched from the doorway as Danny snatched up the note she had left on the shelf, _her _note.

"This isn't even her handwriting." Danny ground out before turning towards a clearly upset Carmilla, "That just shows how little you care about her."

Carmilla frowned, before shaking her head. She should be angry and putting the wolf in her place, not upset. She clenched her hands into fists before grabbing her phone and quickly scrolling through her messages:

**Rat (3:34am): Where are you? Mother is not happy.**

**Rat (5:42am): Seriously, are you with Laura?**

**Rat (8:39am): I don't know where Mother went but it can't be good.**

"Fuck." Carmilla swore. She couldn't believe herself. She let herself forget who she was for just one night and now look where that's gotten her.

Danny looked down at her, murder bleeding through her irises. Carmilla wasn't exactly sure what was keeping the red head from ripping her throat out right now.

"I think I might know where she is." Carmilla said.

Danny raised a brow, "You think?"

Carmilla rolled her eyes, nodding her head. All of this was embarrassing enough as it was. "Just check around campus, ask if anyone saw her." She instructed, grabbing her jacket and slipping into it.

"And where are you going?" Danny barked.

"To go see my mother."

XXX

Carmilla entered the mansion, already knowing that her mother wasn't there. Not a single heartbeat, aside from her faint one (it hadn't stopped beating since she woke up), it was off, maybe beating four times a minute.

She wasn't alone though. Sitting on the white leather chaise in the foyer was Elle, so different now from what she looked like in 1936. Frozen at 19, but no longer the girl Carmilla had once loved. She no longer looked like someone who cared for anyone, like the boy she had posed as just to get some form of money. No longer a homeless orphan.

No, now she looked like a debutante, hair blonder, face paler, nails manicured. Lips redder and eyes more dead then her own. Elle was staring down at her nails, as if inspecting them for stray blood flecks.

"Where is she?" Carmilla nearly growled.

"You know, you're the only woman I've ever been with."

The much older vampire rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't make me feel special."

"No, I'm trying to point out the exact opposite. You're poisonous; you ruined me for any other woman."

Carmilla scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, digging crescent moons into her skin. "Is that your excuse for fucking so many dirty old men?"

"I'd like not to pretend how old I am Marcilla. The men I fuck could've been my husband, my peers. They _are _my peers. I'm sorry I don't meet your standards by gallivanting around with teenage girls and try to pretend that I am the sun in their skies." Elle said, standing.

"Shut up. Shut the _fuck _up." Carmilla spit out.

Elle studied Carmilla, keeping her distance as she took notice to the shorter girl practically vibrating in anger. "You always hated the fortune teller when we went to the circus; it's a miracle you wanted to keep me around as a constant reminder of your mistakes."

Carmilla snapped, she lunged forward, hand wrapping around throat, and slammed Elle back into the wall, the drywall splintering beneath them. "I kept you around because I loved you. I begged mother to turn you and when she said no I went behind her back and did it myself, and I know it was messy, and I know I almost didn't stop, but don't ever question why I did it, because I sure as hell don't."

Elle choked, feeling the pressure of Carmilla's hand, if she didn't let up she was going to crush her windpipe.

Carmilla was seeing red, her vision blurry through her tears as she gritted her teeth. "I spent ten years in a fucking box for you and what's the thanks I get? I come back to find that you aren't the girl I thought you were. You acted like I robbed you of your life, but you wanted this. You asked me, you told me that you wanted to spend the rest of eternity with me." She dug her nails into Elle's neck, eliciting a hiss. "You wanted my money. You never loved me." She pressed into her harder.

Elle's eyes were threatening to close. "Mar."

Carmilla looked up at her, lip quivering. She was being so stupid, but she was blind to it.

"Please." Elle choked out. "Do it, kill me."

Carmilla gasped, she couldn't do that. She couldn't kill her. Carmilla couldn't remember the last time she had killed. It had been a long time ago; an accident. She couldn't go through that again.

Elle could feel Carmilla's hand slackening. She grabbed her arm, tears streaming down her own face now. "Please, I can't keep doing this. I was a kid, a stupid fucking kid that was selfish and way in over her head."

Carmilla looked away. She couldn't look at her. "Try going through what I did. I was eighteen and watched both my parents and siblings die along with all of my friends at a ball, _my _family's Christmas ball. My life was ripped away from me. I didn't get to choose, for some of us it's not that simple."

Elle didn't want to fight anymore, even that was clearly what Carmilla wanted. She knew it was the older girl's way of trying to get her to fight, to stay. "Mar, please. It's what I want."

Carmilla let out a shuddered breath. Elle knew that she would've done anything for her once. Carmilla's voice cracked, "You were supposed to stay with me forever. You were supposed to love me. You were supposed to make sure I didn't turn back into a monster."

Elle shook her head. She couldn't say how sorry she was, but she couldn't keep living like this. When mother had locked Carmilla away for a decade, she had lost herself. Without someone who cared to guide her, she became a blood thirsty fiend; a drone for mother to use whenever deemed necessary.

Carmilla could barely keep her own head above the surface when she came back.

In those ten years they had changed, and when they came together again they no longer fit; jagged corners with rounded edges. Elle wasn't able to help Carmilla with her nightmares when she had her own to worry about.

"I'm so sorry I put you through what I did. You more than anyone deserve someone that loves you. I couldn't give you that, but she can." Elle said, going silent for a minute. Carmilla knew she could hear it, her heart slowly beating away inside her chest. Elle smiled, "She already has."

Carmilla was no longer holding her by her neck, but just staring at her.

"Mar, I'm not gonna ask again. I'm not a beggar, but please don't make me do it myself." Elle pleased.

Carmilla bit her lip nodding; there was no getting out of this. Whether she did it or not, Elle wouldn't be seeing tomorrow's sunrise. "Okay."

Elle deflated in relief. She was getting what she wanted even if it was Carmilla's biggest fear; losing someone she loved, and by her own hand.

"Just tell me one thing."

Elle looked down at Carmilla, a girl she had once pretended to love. How simple and easy it would've been to do so. "Anything."

"Do you know where she took her?"

Elle frowned, shaking her head. She didn't know.

Carmilla nodded, and with a surge of courage she pushed forward, pressing her lips into Elle's in a bruising kiss, their tears intermingling as she shoved her hand forward, ripping into cloth and flesh, breaking through bone, and clenching around the human prize. Yanking her arm backwards, Carmilla ripped Elle's life source out of her chest, and felt a gasp again her lips. She looked up to blank wet eyes and back down at the glowing heart in her hand. Closing her hand into a fist, she grounded the organ into a pulp as she watched the light dim form Elle's eyes.

A sob erupted through Carmilla's chest, escaping past her lips, as she clutched at Elle's dead weight, sliding to the floor with her.

She felt her heart begin to beat harder; at a much normal pace now that she no longer had two people to love. Now she only had eyes for the living.

She needed to find Laura.


	11. The End

"For the darkness

Has broken our homes

All that we wished for

Like fools on a rope

I can feel it

The desperate control

A burning passion

When love takes it's toll

Yet souls have a reason

And I won't let go!"

-'Resurrect the Sun' by Black Veil Brides

XXX

What had she done? What the_ fuck _had she done? Mother was right, she _was_ a monster. She had killed one of the two people she had ever loved on this god forsaken Earth. There was no silver lining, no answers; Carmilla was a monster and she had to accept that now.

Carmilla didn't think she was capable of killing a loved one, or rather she forgot that she could. It was so easy once you stopped thinking, to push your hand out and make a fist, gripping at anything that used to beat. Letting yourself go, feeling the thrill of blood so close to you, enveloping your hand in such a way you could only feel power from it.

Carmilla sat with Elle's body for hours, all thoughts of Laura pushed to the side for the moment. She was different now, she had killed someone, a person she knew, a woman she loved. She couldn't just go back out there and fight, not when she didn't know what she was fighting for anymore. Herself? For Laura? Does she still hate her mother for making her believe she was a monster, or encouraging her to become one? Or has she hated her ever since she had ripped away her life, her family, her home and turned her into _this_? Someone who couldn't even bare to love themselves. How could she love another when she couldn't love herself? Or did she hate what she was so much that she loved it?

It had been a long time since she let herself go, since she had allowed the monster to break through and take over. Carmilla was tired of fighting it, of fighting herself. Maybe she should let it happen. Be the vampire her mother expected her to be. Be the creature she had tucked away for so long.

The sound of the front door opening caused Carmilla's head to snap up, eyes red with sadness, with anger. The look though shifted to rage, darkening with blood lust.

Will strolled in, his whistling paused when he saw Carmilla in a heap on the floor with Elle's bloody corpse. "Oh _thank god_, wasn't sure I could spend another decade with her." he said in mock relief.

Carmilla stood slowly, letting Elle's body drop to the floor like a limp rag doll. She licked her fingers before looking down at herself. She was covered head to toe in blood. "Where's puppy bro?" she asked casually, stepping over the body.

Will raised a brow at her carelessness. Who was this and what have they done with his sister? "He's in class."

"Drop him." Carmilla said as she began ascending the stairs.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. He's not even into guys William, you're wasting your time. Think of all of the men you can have once I'm in charge."

Will scoffed, "When _you're_ in charge?"

Carmilla shrugged, she figured she could be just as good, possibly even better then her mother. That old bat needed to go anyways.

"Yes, I'm going to kill our mother."

William began to chuckle darkly, "And how are you going to do that? She'll know what you are up to before you even begin to formulate a plan. Even just speaking of it now, aloud is proof enough of just how careless you are."

Carmilla rolled her eyes, she didn't have time for this, to have people standing in her way of what she wanted. She wanted power, control; something mother never let her have. She gripped Will's shoulder hard, she didn't give him time to struggle, instead she looked him right in the eye and said, "You don't want this, you don't want any of this. The feelings, the heartbreak, always coming second best to me. Slate it William, slate all of it."

Will froze, his eyes clouding over before clearing. His posture had now changed, he stood taller, no longer slouching. His chin jutted out more as if he was standing to attention, and maybe he was. Carmilla didn't care. What she did care about was that he was no longer going to be a problem for her. He was hers. Will had been slated.

She smirked up at him, smoothing a hand down his chest before dropping them at her sides. "Now run along, go let that poor human boy go, and then go find mother. I'll be there shortly." First, she needed to shower.

XXX

Danny paced the floor in front of Perry's dorm room. She had been waiting for what seemed like forever when really it had only been minutes. LaF was talking to JP about what could be options to look for Laura.

"Hey Danny, you called?"

She whirled around to meet kind and concerned eyes. "Kirsch, yeah uh I'm just waiting for LaFontaine and Perry to find something we can use."

Kirsch nodded, his baseball bat that she had instructed him to bring in one hand while the other was shoved into his pocket. She couldn't help but find him endearing. She shook her head, now was _so_ not the time. She needed to find her dumb ass ex-girlfriend before she got herself killed.

"Where's Will?" she asked bitterly.

Kirsch raised a brow, confused. "Oh, he and I are just buds. He said something like new orders or whatever, I'm not sure."

Danny could care less about Will, but what Kirsch had said caught her attention. "What do you mean orders?"

Kirsch shrugged, "Not sure, he did seem off though, like he wasn't himself."

Danny tried to shrug it off, but something about it just didn't sit right with her. When she thought about it, Carmilla never came back either. Her eyes widened, they needed to go now.

LaF and Perry burst out of the dorm room. "The Lustig building!" LaFontaine shouted before they all began to run down the hallway towards the front entrance.

XXX

Laura lolled her head to the side. She couldn't tell whether she had her eyes open or not, either way it was dark and musty. She was laying on something soft, but her entire body was sore. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there.

She raised her hands above her head to stretch and bumped into something solid, a wall. She bunched her brows together before pushing out with her bare feet and hitting another wall. It was smooth and cold, like a polished wood. The air was damp and she coughed when she breathed it in, dust filling her lungs.

Outside of this box she was in, she could hear nothing.

The last thing she could remember was getting into bed with Carmilla. Her sweet Carmilla, the one only a handful of people have seen.

Little did she know that that Carmilla was gone.

XXX

Carmilla entered the Lustig with ease, William at her heels.

The old building was barely standing, an old theater that hadn't been used in at least thirty years. If anything the university only kept it for posterity's sake.

Posterity, it made Carmilla think of Laura. How she always wanted to film them together, take pictures of her. It was as if Laura herself didn't think they would last. She had been right in every way she had been wrong.

Ripped and burned chairs all faced the stage. All ghosts of past visitors and drama students all facing towards a single coffin. One that was being banged on repeatedly.

Carmilla growled, how dare her mother do this. Put the only woman she now cared about in the same situation she had put her in, the very same coffin that haunted her nightmares every single night since.

Mother was no where in sight, and Carmilla knew this to be a trap but she couldn't help but feel herself beginning to cave, to cringe in fear. That coffin was a warning, it meant that if she didn't back down and stand along side her mother, that would be her final resting place. And Laura was now inside it, beating away at it until her hands were bloody; she could smell it.

She inched closer to the stage, climbing onto it and stared down at the coffin. Ten years she had spent in there, if it wasn't so dark Laura would be able to see the scratch marks, the dried blood from nails being broken and hands cut. She was grateful that it was dark, no one else deserved what she had gone through.

"Ah, there you are."

Carmilla froze, her shoulders scrunched up near her ears. The image was that much like one of a child getting their hand caught in the cookie jar. "Mother."

Mother stepped out from behind the shadows cloaked by old curtains covered in moth holes and layers of dust. "I was wondering when you would be showing up. Didn't think you'd make me wait as long as you did." she began, her heels clacking along the dull floorboards.

Carmilla fought the urge to flinch as she grew closer. She needed to be one step ahead of her if she was going to go through with this.

"What, nothing to say?" Mother asked, amusement clear in her tone.

Carmilla went to speak when the door to the Lustig opened with a bang.

"Where is she?!" Danny bellowed, storming in with trident raised high.

Carmilla closed her eyes, clenching her jaw.

Mother chuckled darkly, "What is this Mircalla? Did you call on the Scooby gang to help you get your little ragamuffin back?"

Carmilla opened her eyes, turning to look out at the theater where all of Laura's friends stood, stupidly ready to fight a fight they all knew they would not win. Laura had stopped trying to get out of the coffin. If Carmilla listened hard enough, she could hear her breathing heavily at what has been said.

Danny was glaring daggers at Carmilla.

Carmilla raised her hand in pause, to try and tell the humans that they shouldn't even try and charge the stage. Mother would kill all of them.

Will stood to the side, much closer to mother then he was a minute ago.

"Pipe down wolf, adults are speaking." Mother addressed Danny a moment later before looking at Will, "Hello Darling, you seem different, did Mircalla finally give you a blank slate? Such a shame, you were always my beautiful soldier."

Carmilla felt herself digging her nails into her palms. Of course mother would know. She always knew.

"Think you were ahead of me did you?" She asked after looking over at Carmilla.

Carmilla gulped, trying not to look scared. She may have slated Will, and she may have pushed Elle's death away like it was nothing, but she still was very much afraid of her mother. Very much afraid of what she was turning into, and very much afraid of what was going to become of this moment. Was she going to make it out of this alive, was Laura? Was anyone in this room besides mother going to see tomorrow?

Mother shook her head, "You should know better by now. Wasn't your time in that very casket over there enough?"

Carmilla stood her ground, she couldn't help but feel liable for every beating heart in the room.

"I'd hate to have to put you back in your place Mircalla, but my patience is wearing thin." Mother continued, stopping to tower over her. "Laura dies today, you allow this to happen and you will never have to worry about my threat again, but if you choose to fight this, your life will end just as your immortal life had begun, alone."

Carmilla shook her head, chuckling lightly. This was all so ridiculous. What was she doing being afraid? It was two against one, unless the humans decided they didn't hate her as much as they hated mother. They could take her.

Will moved closer.

"William, unless you want to share a grave with your sister, I would advise you not to move any further." Mother said, not even bothering to turn.

Will froze, a war of emotions on his face.

Carmilla rolled her eyes, turning her back on mother and looking out towards the humans. They were all looking at her, LaFontaine nodding their head in a silent agreement, they had her back.

When she turned back around mother was looking at her curiously, "I always found your fascination with life a bit concerning, but this truly is retched. Now stop being foolish and retrieve your precious human."

Carmilla timidly nodded, walking around the woman she had spent over three hundred years fearing, and over towards the box that she had feared for a third of it.

Her breath came out shaky as she neared the box, that's all it was, a box; and she walked towards it like it was a walk of shame. She crouched down beside it, and with shaky hands pried the lid off.

Laura must have passed out from lack of oxygen as Carmilla reached in and scooped her up into her arms, cradling her close as she lifted her out of the casket and carried her over to her mother.

Mother stared at Laura, smiling. This was her ticket to ultimate power. "Perfect, now just lay her down on the floor before us."

Carmilla did as she was told.

When she stood back up, mother nodded at her with approval. "That's my girl."

Carmilla's lip twitched upwards from the approval, hitting a nerve buried deep inside her.

Carmilla looked back down at Laura's friends. She was shocked to say the least that they had stayed put.

She turned back to her mother who was once again smiling knowingly at her. "I want _you_ to do it."

Carmilla's eyes widened, what? "You want me to do _what_ exactly?"

Mother rolled her eyes, "Mircalla, don't be dense. I want you to sacrifice Miss Hollis' body to the light."

Meaning she wanted Carmilla to kill her.

Carmilla nodded, lowering herself to kneel beside Laura, and felt tears well up in her eyes. She heard scuffling from between the seats.

Danny had attempted to charge the stage, but LaF had stopped her before she got too far. They whispered something in her ear, causing her to let up for the moment.

"LaFontaine, call your dog off before I put it down." Mother said before turning back to Carmilla. "I'm not going to wait forever Mircalla."

A simple statement that hefted the weight of Carmilla's life expectancy.

Carmilla looked down at Laura, frowning. She looked peaceful, as if she was only sleeping. Carmilla couldn't do this. Her voice quivered before evening out, "I'm sorry mother, but I can't let you do this."

Will ran past her in a flash of color, pushing mother backwards, and sending her off of the stage, giving Carmilla just enough time to lean down and whisper, "I'm so sorry." She bit into Laura's neck, warm blood running over her tongue. She tried not to enjoy it, but she was her ambrosia. She closed her eyes, trying to will the tears away. This was selfish, but it was the only way Laura would make it, the only way Carmilla would be able to keep her alive.

Ironic that the only way to spare Laura's life was by ending it.

There was screaming and yelling surrounding her, the ground beneath them pulsating. She drank faster, holding Laura closer and taking her in. Every ridge and curve of her body, her smell, the slow and steady rise and fall of her chest. All of this would eventually disappear after time. Carmilla wanted to remember.

She felt Laura's heartbeat begin to soften and falter, as she let up, licking her lips before wiping the excess blood away with the back of her hand. There was the sound of someone hitting the floor and more yelling. She needed to make this quick. Carmilla bit into her wrist, pressing the opened wound onto Laura's mouth and tilted her head back so that her blood would slide down her throat and work it's magic. She pressed a final kiss to Laura's head before lowering her back onto the stage floor, praying in a God she didn't believe in and to all its deities that her Laura would make it through this.

She stood shakily, her knees wobbling. She was stronger now with almost all of Laura's blood inside her, pumping through her veins, racing down into every joint. She could do this, she _had _to.

Turning back to look off of the stage, LaFontaine had been hit in the head and Perry was trying to stop the flow of blood with her sweater pressed to their temple.

Carmilla growled, jumping off of the stage. Danny and Will had mother by her arms, holding her in place as she struggled. With the light hungry, she was losing her strength. It would die out and her with it if Carmilla didn't get a chance to do it herself.

Kirsch was standing beside Perry, hands on his knees. He had a big gash through the front of his shirt where mother had no doubt swiped at him with her claws.

Carmilla only had eyes for her mother though, walking at an agonizingly slow pace to take it all in, she finally came to a stand still in front of her.

On her knees, looking up, pinned down by both a werewolf and a vampire, mother looked up at her precious diamond for what would be the last time. Never did she have to look up at her before, it gave Carmilla the last bit of courage she needed.

"All of this because of some girl, some human? You are willing to kill your own flesh and blood for a romance that will no doubt peter out before the end of the century." Mother mocked. She knew she was going to die, it was always in the back of her head that Carmilla could be stronger then her if she wanted to be. That was always why she made a point to have her weak, broody, and unloved.

Carmilla shook her head, "That might be true, but you won't be here to see it." she moved in closer, lowering down onto her knees in front of her mother. "You always made sure that I thought of love as a poison, you never expressed it towards me in anyway unless hate was laced with it, but what you didn't expect was for me to finally come to peace with myself. I know who I am, and I know what I'm capable of. I'm no longer scared." Carmilla was crying again, small tears trickling down her face.

"I want you to know though that I forgive you, not because it'll help you find peace, but because nothing would piss you off more than to know that your _precious diamond_ is happy, and not thinking about you." Carmilla finished before thrusting out with her hand, ripping through flesh and cloth once more, feeling the dark inky blood drip from her fingers as she ripped the long since silent heart from her creator's chest. It was a dark purple, almost entirely solid, the organ tough and long dead.

She could hear mother's breaths shallow and infrequent, yet she continued to stare down at her heart, memorized. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she squeezed, the heart quickly turning to pulp in her hand. She let it slip through her fingers, dropping it at her feet as she stood. It was done, mother was dead, and she was now taking her place.

XXX

"William, make sure that the girls know that they don't have to dance unless they want to. There will be no more sacrifices for us, the light is dead." Carmilla said as she left her office.

Will nodded, "As you wish, Mistress."

It had been a total of two days since mother had died. Carmilla took her place, dumping and burning all of her old belongings and taking her office as her own. She couldn't stomach the thought of being called mother though, after all there could only be one. Instead she took to the name Mistress.

Laura hadn't woken yet. She lay in a bed in one of the many rooms on the third floor. Carmilla sat with her every night and read aloud, hoping that her voice would bring her back to her, but it was wishful thinking. Carmilla was no Romeo, and Styria was definitely not Verona.

If it weren't for the quiet and sluggish beat of Laura's heart that matched the rhythm of Carmilla's, she would have figured the change hadn't worked.

Now it was only a matter of waiting. Carmilla couldn't help but picture the future, an eternity with Laura. Would she love her until her undead heart collapsed, or would Carmilla have to slate her just to keep her around? Carmilla hoped for the former.

She read for awhile that night, much longer than she normally did, but she was restless. It was hard to sleep in an empty bed after being accompanied for a while. It felt different, wrong, cold.

She was just about ready to call it a night and head to her room when she could've sworn she heard the sheets on the bed rustle. When she looked over at Laura's unconscious body though, she was laying just like she had been since she had been laid there. She stared at her for another few moments, not wanting to miss her if she finally woke.

She waited ten minutes before figuring that she was beginning to hear things, she wanted it so bad she was imagining it, but a gasp brought her back. Laura sat up in bed, eyes wide and staring right at her.

Carmilla wasn't sure what to do but stare. She couldn't move, she wanted this for so long that she ached. She was just about to ask if Laura was alright when she cut her off.

"Wow, I'm _really_ hungry."

XXX

**AN: There's gonna be one more chapter and then this story will be put to rest! It was a whole lot of fun to write and all of your reviews were much appreciated.**

**-Marissa**


	12. Enough

""You are enough."

These little words, somehow they're changing us.

"You are enough."

So we let our shadows fall away like dust."

-'You Are Enough' by Sleeping At Last

XXX

1 Month Later…

Carmilla stuck around to lock up, cleaning the last few glasses at the bar when the lights went out. She sighed. "Carmen, I said I was going to be here a little while longer." She called out.

Nothing.

Carmilla set down the glass she had been drying and headed towards the back where all the power switches were, muttering under her breath as she went.

Before she could get very far, a hand grabbed her by the arm and tugged her back into one of the private rooms.

XXX

After killing mother, Carmilla couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the look of disappointment, felt the fear trying to free circuit her brain, and bile creeping up the back of her throat. She spent the majority of that first night throwing up.

The second night without Laura, Carmilla lay awake thinking of Elle. Even in death she haunted her.

Carmilla thought about how her time with Elle was quick and unsatisfying, like eating a meal too fast. She thought about the flowers Elle would pick for her every week and that if she really wanted to, she could go into her closet and bring down the old shoe box that sat on the top shelf, recent fingertips keeping dust from settling, and pull out the journal she had pressed every single petal into. But she wouldn't because it was unnecessary. It would only make things worse.

On the third night, Laura woke up and they spent most of it crying into each other's shoulders, and pressing sloppy kisses to wet cheeks and chapped lips.

On the fourth night Laura's hunger was quenched, and Carmilla could sleep again.

XXX

"What the fuck?!" Carmilla growled as the door slammed shut behind her. A finger was pressed to her lips and Carmilla sighed, "Laura, what are you doing here?"

Ever since Laura had gone through the change she had been insatiable, in blood and in bed. Just in that first week alone Carmilla had been fucked on or up against every piece of furniture in the mansion.

Carmilla wanted to move though. She would come back to Styria if need be, but she planned to give Will the business and mansion.

Laura locked the door behind them and directed Carmilla towards the plush red armchair in the center of the room, shoving her down into it. "I never told you how grateful I was the night we met." Laura husked. She was wearing Carmilla's short black silk robe.

Laura didn't start asking about her friends until two weeks into her vamphood. It was after she had drained five blood bags and she had tears in her eyes because her mouth hurt and her fangs refused to retract; she was afraid she would never stop being hungry.

Carmilla told her the truth- that she'd always be hungry, but that it would get easier.

Laura stopped crying after that, realizing that it was selfish of her. The things she saw as problems were mere hurtles that Carmilla had been dealing with for centuries.

Carmilla never worried after that night Laura's heart was in the right place.

XXX

Carmilla's eyes traveled the length of Laura's body as she neared the chair.

Of course there was some differences now, skin not as warm, touches not as soft, hands no longer exploring, but rather diving right into places they already knew caused the other to unravel. It was no longer awkward or timid, everything was practiced, and there was nothing wrong with that. It was still amazing every time.

They had a long ways to go, but Carmilla knew she loved Laura. She knew it like she knew there was marrow in her bones and hair on her head. "You are so beautiful." She whispered as Laura slid onto Carmilla's lap, straddling her thighs and wrapping her arms around the older girl's neck.

Laura smiled, whispering back, "Right back at you."

It was so juvenile in that moment that it made Carmilla do nothing but laugh a deep belly laugh.

After everything that had happened, Carmilla really needed to laugh. So much in fact that she began to tear up.

It threw Laura completely off course. She stared down at the giggling three hundred year old beneath her and grinned. She loved her, no doubts about it. She wanted to tell her, but she was afraid that it was too soon, so instead she made quick work of removing the robe and placing light kisses along Carmilla's jaw.

Carmilla sighed, her hands landing on the shorter girl's hips, guiding her to grind down into her lap.

Laura let out a shaky breath as she placed her hand on Carmilla's shoulder and pushed down even harder onto her thigh.

"Thought you were repaying me." Carmilla smirked.

Laura chuckled, "I _am _repaying you."

Carmilla hummed in agreement looking up at Laura's scantily clad body as she continued to try and get herself on her leg.

"Remember the last time we were in here?" Laura asked breathily.

Carmilla nodded, how could she not?

"You got yourself off just like this." Laura said before climbing off of her. "Except the only difference is I'm not paying you and I can take these off." She hooked her fingers into the elastic of her panties, sliding them down her legs and stepping out of them.

Laura climbed back into her girlfriend's lap (something they had just decided on the week before, after all you don't almost die for just anyone).

"Plus you can do this." Laura said, taking Carmilla's hand and bringing it down between her legs, using her fingers to rub her clit lightly, teasing herself.

Carmilla felt her fangs drop down from her gums and prick her bottom lip.

Laura eyed the bead of blood hungrily before letting go of Carmilla's hand to kiss her, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and caressing the knick with her tongue.

The older girl's eyes fluttered shut as her brain short-circuited.

Laura pulled away, "Um, Carm?"

"Hmm?" Carmilla's eyes opened slowly.

"When I let go of your hand I was hoping you'd finish what I had started."

Carmilla nodding, feeling herself blush, "Right."

Laura chuckled as she leaned up before sliding down onto Carmilla's fingers, moaning, "Much better."

Carmilla's breath hitched as Laura rode her fingers, nearly choking on spit. She felt the muscles in her stomach tighten, she was going to cum just by watching Laura.

"God, I love you." She mumbled before realizing what she had said.

Laura froze, making Carmilla shiver. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Carmilla shook her head before deciding to distract her, moving fingers quickly to pick up where they had stopped.

Laura groaned, "We aren't done talking about this."

But for now they were and they weren't, and Carmilla was grateful.

XXX

Carmilla had filled her in on all that she had missed.

Danny and Kirsch had kissed and then she threatened to hurt him if he told anyone (he told everyone), because with Danny, her kisses burned him more than any hit could (and he liked it that way), and LaFontaine, after much fuss form Perry, went to the hospital after hitting their head (they need stitches).

XXX

It didn't take Laura long to climax, setting off a chain reaction of Carmilla making a holy mess of her underwear (it made her think of their first time together and somehow made it less embarrassing).

Laura pushed her hair out of her face, and with Carmilla's fingers still inside her, she whispered, "I love you too."

And that was enough.


End file.
